Lincoln Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Lincoln (Lincoln, NE area) was September 6, 2023, when the daily AQI reached 160 (Unhealthy), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. Across 1,970 monitored days in 2019–2025, 1 of the 10 worst days was Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 6 of the 10 were driven by ground-level ozone and 4 by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and 8 of them fell in 2023. The cleanest day was September 11, 2020 at AQI 6 (Good); the 10 best days span 4 different years.
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When were Lincoln's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: September 6, 2023, AQI 160 (Unhealthy, PM2.5). Best: September 11, 2020, AQI 6 (Good). Based on 1,970 EPA-monitored days in the Lincoln, NE area, 2019–2025.
- ✓1 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 84 (Moderate).
- ✓Ground-level ozone drove 6 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2023 accounts for 8 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in Lincoln?▾
September 6, 2023: the Lincoln, NE area's daily AQI hit 160 (Unhealthy), driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. That is the highest of 1,970 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in Lincoln?▾
September 11, 2020, with a daily AQI of 6 (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 Lincoln's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
August 2, 2025, AQI 87 (Moderate), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
Which pollutant causes Lincoln's worst air days?▾
Ground-level ozone set the AQI on 6 of the 10 worst days; fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on 4. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
Lincoln's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the Lincoln, NE area (EPA AQS). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area that day.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2023 page) | 160 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 2 | (2023 page) | 108 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 3 | (2023 page) | 101 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 4 | (2023 page) | 100 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 5 | (2023 page) | 93 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 6 | (2023 page) | 93 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 7 | (2023 page) | 90 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 8 | (2023 page) | 89 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 9 | (2025 page) | 87 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 10 | (2021 page) | 84 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
Worst day of each year in Lincoln
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 | 70 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2020 | 77 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2021 | 84 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2022 | 64 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2023 | 160 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2024 | 82 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2025 | 87 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Lincoln's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the Lincoln, NE area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2020 page) | 6 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 2 | (2020 page) | 6 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 3 | (2019 page) | 7 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 4 | (2023 page) | 9 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 5 | (2019 page) | 9 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 6 | (2025 page) | 11 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 7 | (2020 page) | 11 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 8 | (2020 page) | 11 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 9 | (2019 page) | 11 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 10 | (2025 page) | 12 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Right now in Lincoln
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Lincoln's AQI at 34 (PM2.5). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Lincoln air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Lincoln, NE), 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.