Jersey City Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Jersey City (New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA area) was June 7, 2023, when the daily AQI reached 278 (Very Unhealthy), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. Across 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025, 10 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 5 of the 10 were driven by ground-level ozone and 5 by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and 6 of them fell in 2023. The cleanest day was October 10, 2024 at AQI 22 (Good); the 10 best days span 5 different years.
Extra Protection for Jersey City Homes
Air quality in Jersey City is moderate (AQI 52), with fine particles (PM2.5) the main concern. A True-HEPA purifier gives sensitive groups — kids, seniors and anyone with asthma or allergies — cleaner air indoors on days like today.
Recommended: Coway AP-1512HH Mighty — True HEPA + carbon · CADR ~246 CFM · rooms up to 361 sq ft
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When were Jersey City's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: June 7, 2023, AQI 278 (Very Unhealthy, PM2.5). Best: October 10, 2024, AQI 22 (Good). Based on 2,557 EPA-monitored days in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA area, 2019–2025.
- ✓10 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 156 (Unhealthy).
- ✓Ground-level ozone drove 5 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2023 accounts for 6 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in Jersey City?▾
June 7, 2023: the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA area's daily AQI hit 278 (Very Unhealthy), driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. That is the highest of 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in Jersey City?▾
October 10, 2024, with a daily AQI of 22 (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 Jersey City's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
June 24, 2025, AQI 161 (Unhealthy), set by ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season.
Which pollutant causes Jersey City's worst air days?▾
Ground-level ozone set the AQI on 5 of the 10 worst days; fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on 5. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
Jersey City's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 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) | 278 | Very Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 2 | (2023 page) | 191 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 3 | (2023 page) | 183 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 4 | (2023 page) | 172 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 5 | (2023 page) | 166 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 6 | (2023 page) | 165 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 7 | (2025 page) | 161 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 8 | (2022 page) | 161 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 9 | (2024 page) | 156 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 10 | (2021 page) | 156 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
Worst day of each year in Jersey City
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 | 150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2020 | 140 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2021 | 156 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2022 | 161 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2023 | 278 | Very Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2024 | 156 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2025 | 161 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
Jersey City's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2024 page) | 22 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 2 | (2023 page) | 24 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 3 | (2021 page) | 24 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 4 | (2025 page) | 25 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 5 | (2021 page) | 26 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 6 | (2025 page) | 27 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 7 | (2023 page) | 27 | Good | NO2 — nitrogen dioxide |
| 8 | (2020 page) | 27 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 9 | (2025 page) | 28 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 10 | (2024 page) | 28 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
Right now in Jersey City
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Jersey City's AQI at 52 (PM2.5). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Jersey City air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA), 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.