Honolulu Air Quality in January
Across 2019–2025, Honolulu's January air quality had a median AQI of 34 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Urban Honolulu, HI area. 0.5% of January days (1 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 61.3% of days. The cleanest January on record here was 2022 (median AQI 30, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 37, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 117).
- Good: 93.5%
- Moderate: 6.0%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Honolulu
Today's main pollutant in Honolulu is ground-level ozone (AQI 28). 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.
Recommended: Levoit Core 300 — True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft
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How is the air in Honolulu in January?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 34 across 2019–2025, with 0.5% of January days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓93.5% of January days were Good (AQI 0–50), 6.0% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓1 day of 217 reached AQI 101+; the January peak was 117.
- ✓Best January: 2022; worst January: 2023.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Honolulu in January?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Honolulu in January was 34 (Good). 93.5% of days were Good, 6.0% Moderate, and 0.5% 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 Honolulu?▾
A typical January day in Honolulu sits in the Good range (median AQI 34), 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 Honolulu's January air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 61.3% of January days in Honolulu. The highest January AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 117 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2023.
Honolulu January air quality, year by year
Honolulu January air quality by year (Urban Honolulu, HI, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 36 | 0 | 45 | O3 |
| 2020 | 31 | 34 | 0 | 63 | O3 |
| 2021 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 43 | O3 |
| 2022cleanest | 31 | 30 | 0 | 48 | O3 |
| 2023worst | 31 | 37 | 1 | 117 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 31 | 36 | 0 | 85 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 31 | 38 | 0 | 55 | O3 |
What January air means in Honolulu
A typical January day in Honolulu sits in the Good range (median AQI 34), 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 34 is above Honolulu's whole-year median of 29, making it one of the area's dirtier periods. Nationally, the median January AQI across every EPA metro area (95,602 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 39, so Honolulu runs below the national January norm; 0.5% of its January days topped AQI 100 versus 0.7% nationally (about the same).
January is part of Honolulu's winter season (December, January, February); the winter page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Honolulu
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Honolulu's AQI at 28 (O3). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.
View current Honolulu air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Urban Honolulu, HI), 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.