Fargo Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Fargo (Fargo, ND-MN area) was July 30, 2021, when the daily AQI reached 211 (Very Unhealthy), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. Across 2,539 monitored days in 2019–2025, 10 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 10 of the 10 were driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and 5 of them fell in 2021. The cleanest day was September 16, 2022 at AQI 7 (Good); the 10 best days span 3 different years.
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When were Fargo's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: July 30, 2021, AQI 211 (Very Unhealthy, PM2.5). Best: September 16, 2022, AQI 7 (Good). Based on 2,539 EPA-monitored days in the Fargo, ND-MN area, 2019–2025.
- ✓10 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 166 (Unhealthy).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) drove 10 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2021 accounts for 5 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in Fargo?▾
July 30, 2021: the Fargo, ND-MN area's daily AQI hit 211 (Very Unhealthy), driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. That is the highest of 2,539 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in Fargo?▾
September 16, 2022, with a daily AQI of 7 (Good). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area, so even the cleanest day reflects the area's worst monitor.
What was Fargo's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
June 1, 2025, AQI 192 (Unhealthy), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season.
Which pollutant causes Fargo's worst air days?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the AQI on 10 of the 10 worst days. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
Fargo's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the Fargo, ND-MN area (EPA AQS). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area that day.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2021 page) | 211 | Very Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 2 | (2025 page) | 192 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 3 | (2025 page) | 178 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 4 | (2023 page) | 175 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 5 | (2021 page) | 173 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 6 | (2021 page) | 169 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 7 | (2025 page) | 168 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 8 | (2021 page) | 167 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 9 | (2025 page) | 166 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 10 | (2021 page) | 166 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
Worst day of each year in Fargo
The single highest-AQI day in each year on record. Click a year for its full month-by-month statistics.
| Year | Worst day | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 157 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2020 | 80 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2021 | 211 | Very Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2022 | 111 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2023 | 175 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2024 | 158 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2025 | 192 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
Fargo's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the Fargo, ND-MN area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2022 page) | 7 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 2 | (2024 page) | 9 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 3 | (2019 page) | 9 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 4 | (2022 page) | 10 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 5 | (2024 page) | 11 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 6 | (2024 page) | 11 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 7 | (2024 page) | 11 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 8 | (2022 page) | 11 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 9 | (2024 page) | 12 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 10 | (2019 page) | 13 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Right now in Fargo
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Fargo's AQI at 24 (PM2.5). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Fargo air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Fargo, ND-MN), 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.