Kansas City Air Quality in 2023

In 2023, Kansas City's air quality (Kansas City, MO-KS area) had a median daily AQI of 55 (Moderate) across 365 monitored days. 29 days (7.9%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 124 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 166 (Unhealthy). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 203 of those days. The cleanest month of 2023 was October (median AQI 41, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 95, 13 days above 100, peak 166).

55
Median AQI
Moderate
29
Days above AQI 100
7.9% of 365 days
93
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
166
Peak AQI
Unhealthy
PM2.5
Main pollutant
203 of 365 days
124
Good days
34.0% of days
  • Good: 34.0%
  • Moderate: 58.1%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 6.8%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 1.1%

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QUICK ANSWER

How was Kansas City's air quality in 2023?

Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 55, with 29 days above AQI 100 out of 365 monitored — the 7th cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.

  • Peak AQI in 2023: 166 (Unhealthy).
  • Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was the main pollutant on 203 days.
  • Cleanest month: October; worst: June.

Frequently asked questions

What was the average AQI in Kansas City in 2023?

EPA's Air Quality System puts Kansas City's (Kansas City, MO-KS) median daily AQI for 2023 at 55, which is Moderate. 29 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 166.

Which month had the worst air quality in Kansas City in 2023?

The cleanest month of 2023 was October (median AQI 41, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 95, 13 days above 100, peak 166).

Was 2023 a good or bad year for Kansas City's air?

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2023 ranks 7th cleanest by days above AQI 100 — the worst year on record here. 2023's median of 55 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 54.

Kansas City month by month in 2023

Kansas City air quality month by month, 2023 (Kansas City, MO-KS, EPA AQS daily AQI)

MonthDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
January3155088PM2.5
February2851064PM2.5
March3154070PM2.5
April3054080O3
May31746129O3
Juneworst309513166O3
July31644151O3
August31582112O3
September30664165O3
Octobercleanest3141077PM2.5
November3052088PM2.5
December3143067PM2.5

How 2023 compares

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2023 ranks 7th cleanest by days above AQI 100 — the worst year on record here.

2023's median of 55 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 54.

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

Right now in Kansas City

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Kansas City's AQI at 44 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.

View current Kansas City air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Kansas City, MO-KS), 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.