Nashville Air Quality in Summer
Across 2019–2025, Nashville's summer (June–August) air quality had a median AQI of 54 (Moderate) over 644 monitored days in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN area. 4.0% of summer days (26 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 60.6% of days. The cleanest summer on record here was 2025 (median AQI 51, 1 day above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 57, 9 days above 100, peak AQI 133).
- Good: 35.6%
- Moderate: 60.4%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 4.0%
- 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 summer?
Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 54 across 2019–2025, with 4.0% of summer days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓35.6% of summer days were Good (AQI 0–50), 60.4% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓26 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the summer peak was 147.
- ✓Cleanest month: July; worst month: June.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Nashville in summer?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Nashville in summer was 54 (Moderate). 35.6% of days were Good, 60.4% Moderate, and 4.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 644 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is summer a good time for outdoor exercise in Nashville?▾
A typical summer day in Nashville is Moderate (median AQI 54): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 25 of summer days (4.0%) 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 summer air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 60.6% of summer days in Nashville. The highest summer AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 147 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2023.
Nashville summer air quality, year by year
Nashville summer 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 | 92 | 55 | 1 | 101 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 92 | 52 | 1 | 121 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 92 | 54 | 4 | 133 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 92 | 55 | 3 | 147 | PM2.5 |
| 2023worst | 92 | 57 | 9 | 133 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 92 | 57 | 7 | 133 | O3 |
| 2025cleanest | 92 | 51 | 1 | 136 | O3 |
What summer air means in Nashville
A typical summer day in Nashville is Moderate (median AQI 54): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 25 of summer days (4.0%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Summer's median AQI of 54 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 Summer AQI across every EPA metro area (308,645 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 46, so Nashville runs above the national Summer norm; 4.0% of its Summer days topped AQI 100 versus 3.6% nationally (about the same).
Within the season, July is the cleanest month (median AQI 53, 2.8% of days above 100) and June the worst (median 56, 6.2% 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.