Minneapolis Air Quality in Summer
Across 2019–2025, Minneapolis's summer (June–August) air quality had a median AQI of 54 (Moderate) over 644 monitored days in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI area. 6.5% of summer days (42 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 50.8% of days. The cleanest summer on record here was 2022 (median AQI 49, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 72, 18 days above 100, peak AQI 190).
- Good: 39.4%
- Moderate: 54.0%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 4.3%
- Unhealthy or worse: 2.2%
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How is the air in Minneapolis in summer?
Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 54 across 2019–2025, with 6.5% of summer days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓39.4% of summer days were Good (AQI 0–50), 54.0% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓42 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the summer peak was 193.
- ✓Cleanest month: August; worst month: June.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Minneapolis in summer?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Minneapolis in summer was 54 (Moderate). 39.4% of days were Good, 54.0% Moderate, and 6.5% 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 Minneapolis?▾
A typical summer day in Minneapolis is Moderate (median AQI 54): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 15 of summer days (6.5%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Which pollutant causes Minneapolis's summer air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 50.8% of summer days in Minneapolis. The highest summer AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 193 (Unhealthy), in 2023.
Minneapolis summer air quality, year by year
Minneapolis summer air quality by year (Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 92 | 52 | 1 | 122 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 92 | 51 | 3 | 163 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 92 | 61 | 8 | 193 | O3 |
| 2022cleanest | 92 | 49 | 0 | 93 | O3 |
| 2023worst | 92 | 72 | 18 | 190 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 92 | 51 | 1 | 101 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 92 | 58 | 11 | 178 | PM2.5 |
What summer air means in Minneapolis
A typical summer day in Minneapolis is Moderate (median AQI 54): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 15 of summer days (6.5%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Summer's median AQI of 54 is above Minneapolis's whole-year median of 50, making it one of the area's dirtier periods. Nationally, the median Summer AQI across every EPA metro area (308,645 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 46, so Minneapolis runs above the national Summer norm; 6.5% of its Summer days topped AQI 100 versus 3.6% nationally (above average).
Within the season, August is the cleanest month (median AQI 52, 1.4% of days above 100) and June the worst (median 54, 9.5% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Minneapolis
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Minneapolis's AQI at 15 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.
View current Minneapolis air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI), 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.