Long Beach Air Quality in 2020

In 2020, Long Beach's air quality (Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area) had a median daily AQI of 85 (Moderate) across 366 monitored days. 142 days (38.8%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 35 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 250 (Very Unhealthy). Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 181 of those days. The cleanest month of 2020 was March (median AQI 47, 0 days above 100) and the worst was September (median 161, 28 days above 100, peak 235).

85
Median AQI
Moderate
142
Days above AQI 100
38.8% of 366 days
166
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
250
Peak AQI
Very Unhealthy
O3
Main pollutant
181 of 366 days
35
Good days
9.6% of days
  • Good: 9.6%
  • Moderate: 51.6%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 21.6%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 17.2%

Extra Protection for Long Beach Homes

Air quality in Long Beach 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 was Long Beach's air quality in 2020?

Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 85, with 142 days above AQI 100 out of 366 monitored — the 7th cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.

  • Peak AQI in 2020: 250 (Very Unhealthy).
  • Ground-level ozone was the main pollutant on 181 days.
  • Cleanest month: March; worst: September.

Frequently asked questions

What was the average AQI in Long Beach in 2020?

EPA's Air Quality System puts Long Beach's (Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA) median daily AQI for 2020 at 85, which is Moderate. 142 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 250.

Which month had the worst air quality in Long Beach in 2020?

The cleanest month of 2020 was March (median AQI 47, 0 days above 100) and the worst was September (median 161, 28 days above 100, peak 235).

Was 2020 a good or bad year for Long Beach's air?

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2020 ranks 7th cleanest by days above AQI 100 — the worst year on record here. 2020's median of 85 is above the area's typical annual median of 74.

Long Beach month by month in 2020

Long Beach air quality month by month, 2020 (Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, EPA AQS daily AQI)

MonthDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
January31735130PM2.5
February2966085PM2.5
Marchcleanest3147075PM2.5
April30568185O3
May319012206O3
June308013161O3
July3112924250O3
August3112223222O3
Septemberworst3016128235O3
October3112921210O3
November30793114PM2.5
December31835120PM2.5

How 2020 compares

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2020 ranks 7th cleanest by days above AQI 100 — the worst year on record here.

2020's median of 85 is above the area's typical annual median of 74.

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

Right now in Long Beach

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

View current Long Beach air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA), 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.