Knoxville Air Quality in March

Across 2019–2025, Knoxville's March air quality had a median AQI of 49 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Knoxville, TN area. 1.0% of March days (2 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 60.4% of days. The cleanest March on record here was 2020 (median AQI 42, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2025 (median 51, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 156).

49
Median AQI
Good
1.0%
Days above AQI 100
2 of 217 days
70
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
156
Peak AQI
Unhealthy
O3
Main pollutant
60.4% of days
53.0%
Good days
115 of 217
  • Good: 53.0%
  • Moderate: 46.1%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.5%

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QUICK ANSWER

How is the air in Knoxville in March?

Good on a typical day: median AQI 49 across 2019–2025, with 1.0% of March days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.

  • 53.0% of March days were Good (AQI 0–50), 46.1% Moderate (51–100).
  • 2 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the March peak was 156.
  • Best March: 2020; worst March: 2025.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in Knoxville in March?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Knoxville in March was 49 (Good). 53.0% of days were Good, 46.1% Moderate, and 1.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.

Is March a good time for outdoor exercise in Knoxville?

A typical March day in Knoxville sits in the Good range (median AQI 49), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 100 of March days (1.0%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Which pollutant causes Knoxville's March air quality problems?

Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 60.4% of March days in Knoxville. The highest March AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 156 (Unhealthy), in 2025.

Knoxville March air quality, year by year

Knoxville March air quality by year (Knoxville, TN, EPA AQS daily AQI)

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
20193151077O3
2020cleanest3142062O3
202131471103PM2.5
20223148097O3
20233152077O3
20243152088O3
2025worst31511156O3

What March air means in Knoxville

A typical March day in Knoxville sits in the Good range (median AQI 49), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 100 of March days (1.0%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

March's median AQI of 49 is in line with Knoxville's whole-year median of 52, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median March AQI across every EPA metro area (102,455 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 42, so Knoxville runs above the national March norm; 1.0% of its March days topped AQI 100 versus 0.4% nationally (about the same).

March is part of Knoxville's spring season (March, April, May); the spring page pools all three months.

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

Right now in Knoxville

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Knoxville's AQI at 61 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.

View current Knoxville air quality →

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