Memphis Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Memphis (Memphis, TN-MS-AR area) was June 14, 2024, when the daily AQI reached 159 (Unhealthy), set by ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season. Across 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025, 7 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 8 of the 10 were driven by ground-level ozone and 2 by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and 3 of them fell in 2022. The cleanest day was October 29, 2021 at AQI 21 (Good); the 10 best days span 5 different years.
Extra Protection for Memphis Homes
Air quality in Memphis is moderate (AQI 57), with fine particles (PM2.5) the main concern. A True-HEPA purifier gives sensitive groups — kids, seniors and anyone with asthma or allergies — cleaner air indoors on days like today.
Recommended: Coway AP-1512HH Mighty — True HEPA + carbon · CADR ~246 CFM · rooms up to 361 sq ft
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When were Memphis's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: June 14, 2024, AQI 159 (Unhealthy, O3). Best: October 29, 2021, AQI 21 (Good). Based on 2,557 EPA-monitored days in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area, 2019–2025.
- ✓7 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 147 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Ground-level ozone drove 8 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2022 accounts for 3 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in Memphis?▾
June 14, 2024: the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area's daily AQI hit 159 (Unhealthy), driven by ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season. That is the highest of 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in Memphis?▾
October 29, 2021, 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 Memphis's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
September 18, 2025, AQI 147 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), set by ground-level ozone.
Which pollutant causes Memphis's worst air days?▾
Ground-level ozone set the AQI on 8 of the 10 worst days; fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on 2. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
Memphis's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area (EPA AQS). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area that day.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2024 page) | 159 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 2 | (2022 page) | 159 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 3 | (2024 page) | 156 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 4 | (2022 page) | 156 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 5 | (2022 page) | 156 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 6 | (2024 page) | 154 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 7 | (2020 page) | 153 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 8 | (2021 page) | 150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 9 | (2019 page) | 148 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 10 | (2025 page) | 147 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone |
Worst day of each year in Memphis
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 | 148 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2020 | 153 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2021 | 150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2022 | 159 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2023 | 140 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2024 | 159 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2025 | 147 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone |
Memphis's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2021 page) | 21 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 2 | (2024 page) | 22 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 3 | (2021 page) | 22 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 4 | (2025 page) | 23 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 5 | (2019 page) | 23 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 6 | (2025 page) | 24 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 7 | (2024 page) | 24 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 8 | (2022 page) | 24 | Good | NO2 — nitrogen dioxide |
| 9 | (2021 page) | 24 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 10 | (2021 page) | 24 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
Right now in Memphis
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Memphis's AQI at 57 (PM2.5). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Memphis air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Memphis, TN-MS-AR), 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.