Cleveland Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Cleveland (Cleveland-Elyria, OH area) was June 28, 2023, when the daily AQI reached 285 (Very Unhealthy), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. Across 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025, 8 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 8 of the 10 were driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and 2 by ground-level ozone, and 6 of them fell in 2023. The cleanest day was October 18, 2022 at AQI 21 (Good); the 10 best days span 5 different years.
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Cleveland
Today's main pollutant in Cleveland 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 Cleveland's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: June 28, 2023, AQI 285 (Very Unhealthy, PM2.5). Best: October 18, 2022, AQI 21 (Good). Based on 2,557 EPA-monitored days in the Cleveland-Elyria, OH area, 2019–2025.
- ✓8 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 148 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) drove 8 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 Cleveland?▾
June 28, 2023: the Cleveland-Elyria, OH area's daily AQI hit 285 (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 Cleveland?▾
October 18, 2022, with a daily AQI of 21 (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 Cleveland'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 Cleveland's worst air days?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the AQI on 8 of the 10 worst days; ground-level ozone on 2. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
Cleveland's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the Cleveland-Elyria, 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) | 285 | Very Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 2 | (2023 page) | 182 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 3 | (2022 page) | 158 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 4 | (2023 page) | 157 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 5 | (2022 page) | 156 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 6 | (2020 page) | 155 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 7 | (2023 page) | 153 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 8 | (2023 page) | 151 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 9 | (2025 page) | 150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 10 | (2023 page) | 148 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
Worst day of each year in Cleveland
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 | 119 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2020 | 155 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2021 | 122 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2022 | 158 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2023 | 285 | Very Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2024 | 136 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone | |
| 2025 | 150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
Cleveland's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the Cleveland-Elyria, OH area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2022 page) | 21 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 2 | (2025 page) | 22 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 3 | (2024 page) | 22 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 4 | (2024 page) | 23 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 5 | (2024 page) | 23 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 6 | (2023 page) | 23 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 7 | (2024 page) | 24 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 8 | (2024 page) | 24 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 9 | (2022 page) | 24 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 10 | (2021 page) | 24 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
Right now in Cleveland
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Cleveland's AQI at 44 (O3). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Cleveland air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Cleveland-Elyria, 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.