Raleigh Air Quality in October
Across 2019–2025, Raleigh's October air quality had a median AQI of 42 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Raleigh, NC area. 0.0% of October days (0 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 62.7% of days. The cleanest October on record here was 2025 (median AQI 34, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2024 (median 48, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 60).
- Good: 68.7%
- Moderate: 31.3%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How is the air in Raleigh in October?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 42 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of October days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓68.7% of October days were Good (AQI 0–50), 31.3% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the October peak was 87.
- ✓Best October: 2025; worst October: 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Raleigh in October?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Raleigh in October was 42 (Good). 68.7% of days were Good, 31.3% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is October a good time for outdoor exercise in Raleigh?▾
A typical October day in Raleigh sits in the Good range (median AQI 42), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of October days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Raleigh's October air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 62.7% of October days in Raleigh. The highest October AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 87 (Moderate), in 2024.
Raleigh October air quality, year by year
Raleigh October air quality by year (Raleigh, NC, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 42 | 0 | 87 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 31 | 46 | 0 | 74 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 31 | 43 | 0 | 60 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 31 | 47 | 0 | 61 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 31 | 43 | 0 | 67 | PM2.5 |
| 2024worst | 31 | 48 | 0 | 60 | PM2.5 |
| 2025cleanest | 31 | 34 | 0 | 55 | O3 |
What October air means in Raleigh
A typical October day in Raleigh sits in the Good range (median AQI 42), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of October days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
October's median AQI of 42 is below Raleigh's whole-year median of 48, making it one of the area's cleaner periods. Nationally, the median October AQI across every EPA metro area (102,872 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 38, so Raleigh runs above the national October norm; 0.0% of its October days topped AQI 100 versus 1.3% nationally (below average).
October is part of Raleigh's fall season (September, October, November); the fall page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Raleigh
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Raleigh's AQI at 47 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.
View current Raleigh air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Raleigh, NC), 2019–2025. Daily AQI per CBSA is the highest AQI reported by any monitor in the area that day; the defining parameter is the pollutant that set it. Month and season statistics pool every such day in the period across all years listed. Retrieved 2026-09-09.