Richmond Air Quality in January
Across 2019–2025, Richmond's January air quality had a median AQI of 39 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Richmond, VA area. 0.0% of January days (0 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 66.4% of days. The cleanest January on record here was 2024 (median AQI 33, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2022 (median 51, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 67).
- Good: 71.0%
- Moderate: 29.0%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How is the air in Richmond in January?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 39 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of January days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓71.0% of January days were Good (AQI 0–50), 29.0% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the January peak was 76.
- ✓Best January: 2024; worst January: 2022.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Richmond in January?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Richmond in January was 39 (Good). 71.0% of days were Good, 29.0% Moderate, and 0.0% 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 Richmond?▾
A typical January day in Richmond sits in the Good range (median AQI 39), 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 Richmond's January air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 66.4% of January days in Richmond. The highest January AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 76 (Moderate), in 2022.
Richmond January air quality, year by year
Richmond January air quality by year (Richmond, VA, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 36 | 0 | 64 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 31 | 34 | 0 | 60 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 31 | 41 | 0 | 76 | PM2.5 |
| 2022worst | 31 | 51 | 0 | 67 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 31 | 42 | 0 | 69 | PM2.5 |
| 2024cleanest | 31 | 33 | 0 | 56 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 31 | 41 | 0 | 64 | PM2.5 |
What January air means in Richmond
A typical January day in Richmond sits in the Good range (median AQI 39), 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 39 is below Richmond's whole-year median of 47, 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 Richmond runs in line with the national January norm; 0.0% of its January days topped AQI 100 versus 0.7% nationally (about the same).
January is part of Richmond's winter season (December, January, February); the winter page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Richmond
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Richmond's AQI at 37 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.
View current Richmond air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Richmond, VA), 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.