Des Moines Air Quality in 2025
In 2025, Des Moines's air quality (Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area) had a median daily AQI of 44 (Good) across 365 monitored days. 2 days (0.5%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 224 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 136 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 263 of those days. The cleanest month of 2025 was January (median AQI 28, 0 days above 100) and the worst was August (median 52, 1 day above 100, peak 122).
- Good: 61.4%
- Moderate: 38.1%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Des Moines
Today's main pollutant in Des Moines is ground-level ozone (AQI 27). 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 was Des Moines's air quality in 2025?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 44, with 2 days above AQI 100 out of 365 monitored — the 6th cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.
- ✓Peak AQI in 2025: 136 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was the main pollutant on 263 days.
- ✓Cleanest month: January; worst: August.
Frequently asked questions
What was the average AQI in Des Moines in 2025?▾
EPA's Air Quality System puts Des Moines's (Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA) median daily AQI for 2025 at 44, which is Good. 2 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 136.
Which month had the worst air quality in Des Moines in 2025?▾
The cleanest month of 2025 was January (median AQI 28, 0 days above 100) and the worst was August (median 52, 1 day above 100, peak 122).
Was 2025 a good or bad year for Des Moines's air?▾
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2025 ranks 6th cleanest by days above AQI 100. 2025's median of 44 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 44.
Des Moines month by month in 2025
Des Moines air quality month by month, 2025 (Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Month | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Januarycleanest | 31 | 28 | 0 | 63 | PM2.5 |
| February | 28 | 35 | 0 | 63 | PM2.5 |
| March | 31 | 41 | 0 | 78 | PM2.5 |
| April | 30 | 46 | 0 | 75 | PM2.5 |
| May | 31 | 46 | 0 | 87 | O3 |
| June | 30 | 56 | 0 | 97 | PM2.5 |
| July | 31 | 46 | 1 | 136 | PM2.5 |
| Augustworst | 31 | 52 | 1 | 122 | PM2.5 |
| September | 30 | 49 | 0 | 76 | PM2.5 |
| October | 31 | 42 | 0 | 64 | PM2.5 |
| November | 30 | 40 | 0 | 68 | PM2.5 |
| December | 31 | 41 | 0 | 76 | PM2.5 |
How 2025 compares
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2025 ranks 6th cleanest by days above AQI 100.
2025's median of 44 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 44.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Des Moines
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Des Moines's AQI at 27 (O3). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.
View current Des Moines air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA), 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.