Sioux Falls Air Quality in Summer
Across 2019–2025, Sioux Falls's summer (June–August) air quality had a median AQI of 44 (Good) over 643 monitored days in the Sioux Falls, SD area. 4.2% of summer days (27 of 643) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 66.3% of days. The cleanest summer on record here was 2024 (median AQI 39, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 54, 16 days above 100, peak AQI 157).
- Good: 64.7%
- Moderate: 31.1%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 3.4%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.8%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Sioux Falls
Today's main pollutant in Sioux Falls is ground-level ozone (AQI 24). 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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How is the air in Sioux Falls in summer?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 44 across 2019–2025, with 4.2% of summer days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓64.7% of summer days were Good (AQI 0–50), 31.1% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓27 days of 643 reached AQI 101+; the summer peak was 193.
- ✓Cleanest month: August; worst month: June.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Sioux Falls in summer?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Sioux Falls in summer was 44 (Good). 64.7% of days were Good, 31.1% Moderate, and 4.2% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 643 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is summer a good time for outdoor exercise in Sioux Falls?▾
A typical summer day in Sioux Falls sits in the Good range (median AQI 44), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 24 of summer days (4.2%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Sioux Falls's summer air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 66.3% of summer days in Sioux Falls. The highest summer AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 193 (Unhealthy), in 2023.
Sioux Falls summer air quality, year by year
Sioux Falls summer air quality by year (Sioux Falls, SD, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 92 | 42 | 1 | 105 | O3 |
| 2020 | 92 | 43 | 0 | 90 | O3 |
| 2021 | 92 | 54 | 5 | 193 | O3 |
| 2022 | 92 | 45 | 1 | 105 | O3 |
| 2023worst | 92 | 54 | 16 | 157 | O3 |
| 2024cleanest | 92 | 39 | 0 | 84 | O3 |
| 2025 | 91 | 44 | 4 | 125 | PM2.5 |
What summer air means in Sioux Falls
A typical summer day in Sioux Falls sits in the Good range (median AQI 44), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 24 of summer days (4.2%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Summer's median AQI of 44 is above Sioux Falls's whole-year median of 38, making it one of the area's dirtier periods. Nationally, the median Summer AQI across every EPA metro area (308,645 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 46, so Sioux Falls runs in line with the national Summer norm; 4.2% of its Summer days topped AQI 100 versus 3.6% nationally (about the same).
Within the season, August is the cleanest month (median AQI 40, 1.8% of days above 100) and June the worst (median 51, 7.6% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Sioux Falls
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Sioux Falls's AQI at 24 (O3). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.
View current Sioux Falls air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Sioux Falls, SD), 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.