Nashville Air Quality in October
Across 2019–2025, Nashville's October air quality had a median AQI of 50 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN area. 0.5% of October days (1 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 71.0% of days. The cleanest October on record here was 2025 (median AQI 38, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2020 (median 53, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 102).
- Good: 50.2%
- Moderate: 49.3%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- 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
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How is the air in Nashville in October?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 50 across 2019–2025, with 0.5% of October days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓50.2% of October days were Good (AQI 0–50), 49.3% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓1 day of 217 reached AQI 101+; the October peak was 102.
- ✓Best October: 2025; worst October: 2020.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Nashville in October?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Nashville in October was 50 (Good). 50.2% of days were Good, 49.3% Moderate, and 0.5% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is October a good time for outdoor exercise in Nashville?▾
A typical October day in Nashville sits in the Good range (median AQI 50), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of October days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Nashville's October air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 71.0% of October days in Nashville. The highest October AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 102 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2020.
Nashville October air quality, year by year
Nashville October 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 | 31 | 50 | 0 | 84 | PM2.5 |
| 2020worst | 31 | 53 | 1 | 102 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 31 | 50 | 0 | 71 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 31 | 52 | 0 | 67 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 31 | 47 | 0 | 74 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 31 | 57 | 0 | 64 | PM2.5 |
| 2025cleanest | 31 | 38 | 0 | 71 | O3 |
What October air means in Nashville
A typical October day in Nashville sits in the Good range (median AQI 50), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of October days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
October's median AQI of 50 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 October AQI across every EPA metro area (102,872 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 38, so Nashville runs above the national October norm; 0.5% of its October days topped AQI 100 versus 1.3% nationally (about the same).
October is part of Nashville's fall season (September, October, November); the fall page pools all three months.
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 month 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.