Nashville Air Quality in Fall
Across 2019–2025, Nashville's fall (September–November) air quality had a median AQI of 52 (Moderate) over 637 monitored days in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN area. 0.2% of fall days (1 of 637) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 75.2% of days. The cleanest fall on record here was 2024 (median AQI 48, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2020 (median 52, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 102).
- Good: 44.7%
- Moderate: 55.1%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.2%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Nashville
Today's main pollutant in Nashville is ground-level ozone (AQI 64). 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
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
How is the air in Nashville in fall?
Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 52 across 2019–2025, with 0.2% of fall days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓44.7% of fall days were Good (AQI 0–50), 55.1% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓1 day of 637 reached AQI 101+; the fall peak was 102.
- ✓Cleanest month: September; worst month: October.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Nashville in fall?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Nashville in fall was 52 (Moderate). 44.7% of days were Good, 55.1% Moderate, and 0.2% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 637 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is fall a good time for outdoor exercise in Nashville?▾
A typical fall day in Nashville is Moderate (median AQI 52): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and fewer than 1% of fall days reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Which pollutant causes Nashville's fall air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 75.2% of fall days in Nashville. The highest fall AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 102 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2020.
Nashville fall air quality, year by year
Nashville fall air quality by year (Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 91 | 54 | 0 | 93 | PM2.5 |
| 2020worst | 91 | 52 | 1 | 102 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 91 | 52 | 0 | 81 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 91 | 51 | 0 | 87 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 91 | 53 | 0 | 77 | PM2.5 |
| 2024cleanest | 91 | 48 | 0 | 80 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 91 | 48 | 0 | 100 | O3 |
What fall air means in Nashville
A typical fall day in Nashville is Moderate (median AQI 52): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and fewer than 1% of fall days reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Fall's median AQI of 52 is in line with Nashville's whole-year median of 52, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median Fall AQI across every EPA metro area (296,275 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 40, so Nashville runs above the national Fall norm; 0.2% of its Fall days topped AQI 100 versus 1.5% nationally (below average).
Within the season, September is the cleanest month (median AQI 53, 0.0% of days above 100) and October the worst (median 50, 0.5% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Nashville
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Nashville's AQI at 64 (O3). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.
View current Nashville air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, 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.