Austin Air Quality in January
Across 2019–2025, Austin's January air quality had a median AQI of 45 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Austin-Round Rock, TX area. 0.9% of January days (2 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 75.1% of days. The cleanest January on record here was 2020 (median AQI 38, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 49, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 122).
- Good: 59.0%
- Moderate: 40.1%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.9%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Austin
Today's main pollutant in Austin is ground-level ozone (AQI 33). 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.
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How is the air in Austin in January?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 45 across 2019–2025, with 0.9% of January days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓59.0% of January days were Good (AQI 0–50), 40.1% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓2 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the January peak was 122.
- ✓Best January: 2020; worst January: 2023.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Austin in January?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Austin in January was 45 (Good). 59.0% of days were Good, 40.1% Moderate, and 0.9% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is January a good time for outdoor exercise in Austin?▾
A typical January day in Austin sits in the Good range (median AQI 45), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of January days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Austin's January air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 75.1% of January days in Austin. The highest January AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 122 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2023.
Austin January air quality, year by year
Austin January air quality by year (Austin-Round Rock, TX, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 38 | 1 | 115 | PM2.5 |
| 2020cleanest | 31 | 38 | 0 | 64 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 31 | 51 | 0 | 80 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 31 | 44 | 0 | 69 | PM2.5 |
| 2023worst | 31 | 49 | 1 | 122 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 31 | 53 | 0 | 95 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 31 | 45 | 0 | 74 | PM2.5 |
What January air means in Austin
A typical January day in Austin sits in the Good range (median AQI 45), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of January days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
January's median AQI of 45 is below Austin's whole-year median of 52, making it one of the area's cleaner periods. Nationally, the median January AQI across every EPA metro area (95,602 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 39, so Austin runs above the national January norm; 0.9% of its January days topped AQI 100 versus 0.7% nationally (about the same).
January is part of Austin's winter season (December, January, February); the winter page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Austin
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Austin's AQI at 33 (O3). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.
View current Austin air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Austin-Round Rock, TX), 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.