Santa Fe Air Quality in October

Across 2019–2025, Santa Fe's October air quality had a median AQI of 41 (Good) over 214 monitored days in the Santa Fe, NM area. 0.0% of October days (0 of 214) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 89.7% of days. The cleanest October on record here was 2022 (median AQI 40, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2024 (median 45, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 61).

41
Median AQI
Good
0.0%
Days above AQI 100
0 of 214 days
47
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
61
Peak AQI
Moderate
O3
Main pollutant
89.7% of days
93.0%
Good days
199 of 214
  • Good: 93.0%
  • Moderate: 7.0%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%

Reduce Indoor Ozone in Santa Fe

Today's main pollutant in Santa Fe is ground-level ozone (AQI 35). Important: standard HEPA filters do NOT remove ozone — only a purifier with a substantial activated-carbon bed adsorbs it. The biggest wins are cutting indoor sources (gas appliances, certain "ionizer" purifiers) and ventilating when outdoor ozone is low (early morning). A high-carbon unit helps with the gases and VOCs that linger indoors.

Recommended: Levoit Core 300True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft

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QUICK ANSWER

How is the air in Santa Fe in October?

Good on a typical day: median AQI 41 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of October days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.

  • 93.0% of October days were Good (AQI 0–50), 7.0% Moderate (51–100).
  • 0 days of 214 reached AQI 101+; the October peak was 61.
  • Best October: 2022; worst October: 2024.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in Santa Fe in October?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Santa Fe in October was 41 (Good). 93.0% of days were Good, 7.0% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 214 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.

Is October a good time for outdoor exercise in Santa Fe?

A typical October day in Santa Fe sits in the Good range (median AQI 41), 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 Santa Fe's October air quality problems?

Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 89.7% of October days in Santa Fe. The highest October AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 61 (Moderate), in 2024.

Santa Fe October air quality, year by year

Santa Fe October air quality by year (Santa Fe, NM, EPA AQS daily AQI)

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
20192941047O3
20203143061O3
20213142047O3
2022cleanest3140047O3
20233142051O3
2024worst3045061O3
20253141047O3

What October air means in Santa Fe

A typical October day in Santa Fe sits in the Good range (median AQI 41), 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 41 is in line with Santa Fe's whole-year median of 44, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median October AQI across every EPA metro area (102,872 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 38, so Santa Fe runs in line with the national October norm; 0.0% of its October days topped AQI 100 versus 1.3% nationally (below average).

October is part of Santa Fe's fall season (September, October, November); the fall page pools all three months.

Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.

Right now in Santa Fe

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Santa Fe's AQI at 35 (O3). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.

View current Santa Fe air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Santa Fe, NM), 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.