Akron Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Akron (Akron, OH area) was June 28, 2023, when the daily AQI reached 230 (Very Unhealthy), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. Across 2,497 monitored days in 2019–2025, 4 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 6 of the 10 were driven by ground-level ozone and 4 by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and 4 of them fell in 2023. The cleanest day was January 28, 2024 at AQI 7 (Good); the 10 best days span 7 different years.
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Akron
Today's main pollutant in Akron is ground-level ozone (AQI 44). 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 300 — True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft
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When were Akron's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: June 28, 2023, AQI 230 (Very Unhealthy, PM2.5). Best: January 28, 2024, AQI 7 (Good). Based on 2,497 EPA-monitored days in the Akron, OH area, 2019–2025.
- ✓4 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 114 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Ground-level ozone drove 6 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2023 accounts for 4 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in Akron?▾
June 28, 2023: the Akron, OH area's daily AQI hit 230 (Very Unhealthy), driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. That is the highest of 2,497 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in Akron?▾
January 28, 2024, 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 Akron's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
July 15, 2025, AQI 150 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), set by ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season.
Which pollutant causes Akron'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.
Akron's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the Akron, OH 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) | 230 | Very Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 2 | (2023 page) | 174 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 3 | (2022 page) | 159 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 4 | (2023 page) | 153 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 5 | (2025 page) | 150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 6 | (2022 page) | 140 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 7 | (2025 page) | 126 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 8 | (2023 page) | 119 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 9 | (2019 page) | 115 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 10 | (2020 page) | 114 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Worst day of each year in Akron
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 | 115 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2020 | 114 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2021 | 108 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2022 | 159 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2023 | 230 | Very Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2024 | 108 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2025 | 150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
Akron's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the Akron, OH area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2024 page) | 7 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 2 | (2022 page) | 8 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 3 | (2019 page) | 8 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 4 | (2024 page) | 9 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 5 | (2022 page) | 9 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 6 | (2025 page) | 10 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 7 | (2021 page) | 10 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 8 | (2024 page) | 11 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 9 | (2023 page) | 11 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 10 | (2020 page) | 11 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Right now in Akron
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Akron's AQI at 44 (O3). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Akron air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Akron, OH), 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.