El Paso Air Quality in Summer

Across 2019–2025, El Paso's summer (June–August) air quality had a median AQI of 72 (Moderate) over 644 monitored days in the El Paso, TX area. 15.7% of summer days (101 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 65.4% of days. The cleanest summer on record here was 2023 (median AQI 76, 8 days above 100) and the worst was 2024 (median 80, 27 days above 100, peak AQI 217).

72
Median AQI
Moderate
15.7%
Days above AQI 100
101 of 644 days
109
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
278
Peak AQI
Very Unhealthy
O3
Main pollutant
65.4% of days
11.6%
Good days
75 of 644
  • Good: 11.6%
  • Moderate: 72.7%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 14.8%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.9%

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Air quality in El Paso is moderate (AQI 54), 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.

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QUICK ANSWER

How is the air in El Paso in summer?

Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 72 across 2019–2025, with 15.7% of summer days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.

  • 11.6% of summer days were Good (AQI 0–50), 72.7% Moderate (51–100).
  • 101 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the summer peak was 278.
  • Cleanest month: June; worst month: July.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in El Paso in summer?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in El Paso in summer was 72 (Moderate). 11.6% of days were Good, 72.7% Moderate, and 15.7% 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 El Paso?

A typical summer day in El Paso is Moderate (median AQI 72): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 6 of summer days (15.7%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.

Which pollutant causes El Paso's summer air quality problems?

Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 65.4% of summer days in El Paso. The highest summer AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 278 (Very Unhealthy), in 2024.

El Paso summer air quality, year by year

El Paso summer air quality by year (El Paso, TX, EPA AQS daily AQI)

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
201992679143O3
2020927114192O3
2021926413150O3
2022927718147O3
2023cleanest92768126PM2.5
2024worst928027217O3
2025926712278O3

What summer air means in El Paso

A typical summer day in El Paso is Moderate (median AQI 72): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 6 of summer days (15.7%) 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 72 is above El Paso's whole-year median of 59, making it one of the area's dirtier periods. Nationally, the median Summer AQI across every EPA metro area (308,645 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 46, so El Paso runs above the national Summer norm; 15.7% of its Summer days topped AQI 100 versus 3.6% nationally (above average).

Within the season, June is the cleanest month (median AQI 71, 10.5% of days above 100) and July the worst (median 74, 20.3% above 100).

Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.

Right now in El Paso

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts El Paso's AQI at 54 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.

View current El Paso air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (El Paso, 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.