Richmond Air Quality in Summer
Across 2019–2025, Richmond's summer (June–August) air quality had a median AQI of 49 (Good) over 644 monitored days in the Richmond, VA area. 1.4% of summer days (9 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 56.7% of days. The cleanest summer on record here was 2020 (median AQI 48, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 54, 4 days above 100, peak AQI 159).
- Good: 54.5%
- Moderate: 44.1%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.9%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.5%
Improve Indoor Air Quality
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How is the air in Richmond in summer?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 49 across 2019–2025, with 1.4% of summer days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓54.5% of summer days were Good (AQI 0–50), 44.1% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓9 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the summer peak was 159.
- ✓Cleanest month: August; worst month: June.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Richmond in summer?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Richmond in summer was 49 (Good). 54.5% of days were Good, 44.1% Moderate, and 1.4% 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 Richmond?▾
A typical summer day in Richmond sits in the Good range (median AQI 49), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 71 of summer days (1.4%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Richmond's summer air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 56.7% of summer days in Richmond. The highest summer AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 159 (Unhealthy), in 2023.
Richmond summer air quality, year by year
Richmond summer air quality by year (Richmond, VA, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 92 | 50 | 0 | 100 | O3 |
| 2020cleanest | 92 | 48 | 0 | 74 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 92 | 52 | 2 | 112 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 92 | 48 | 1 | 112 | O3 |
| 2023worst | 92 | 54 | 4 | 159 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 92 | 50 | 1 | 112 | O3 |
| 2025 | 92 | 45 | 1 | 101 | PM2.5 |
What summer air means in Richmond
A typical summer day in Richmond sits in the Good range (median AQI 49), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 71 of summer days (1.4%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Summer's median AQI of 49 is in line with Richmond's whole-year median of 47, 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 Richmond runs in line with the national Summer norm; 1.4% of its Summer days topped AQI 100 versus 3.6% nationally (below average).
Within the season, August is the cleanest month (median AQI 46, 0.5% of days above 100) and June the worst (median 50, 2.4% above 100).
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 season 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.