Jackson Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Jackson (Jackson, MS area) was June 8, 2023, when the daily AQI reached 115 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), set by ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season. Across 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025, 0 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 6 of the 10 were driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and 4 by ground-level ozone, and 5 of them fell in 2023. The cleanest day was January 3, 2019 at AQI 16 (Good); the 10 best days span 7 different years.
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Jackson
Today's main pollutant in Jackson is ground-level ozone (AQI 26). 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
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
When were Jackson's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: June 8, 2023, AQI 115 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, O3). Best: January 3, 2019, AQI 16 (Good). Based on 2,557 EPA-monitored days in the Jackson, MS area, 2019–2025.
- ✓0 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 96 (Moderate).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) drove 6 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2023 accounts for 5 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in Jackson?▾
June 8, 2023: the Jackson, MS area's daily AQI hit 115 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), driven by ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season. That is the highest of 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in Jackson?▾
January 3, 2019, with a daily AQI of 16 (Good). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area, so even the cleanest day reflects the area's worst monitor.
What was Jackson's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
April 10, 2025, AQI 84 (Moderate), set by ground-level ozone.
Which pollutant causes Jackson's worst air days?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the AQI on 6 of the 10 worst days; ground-level ozone on 4. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
Jackson's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the Jackson, MS area (EPA AQS). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area that day.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2023 page) | 115 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 2 | (2020 page) | 114 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 3 | (2023 page) | 106 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 4 | (2022 page) | 105 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 5 | (2023 page) | 101 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 6 | (2022 page) | 101 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 7 | (2019 page) | 100 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 8 | (2023 page) | 97 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 9 | (2024 page) | 96 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 10 | (2023 page) | 96 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Worst day of each year in Jackson
The single highest-AQI day in each year on record. Click a year for its full month-by-month statistics.
| Year | Worst day | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 100 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone | |
| 2020 | 114 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2021 | 88 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2022 | 105 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2023 | 115 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2024 | 96 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2025 | 84 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone |
Jackson's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the Jackson, MS area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2019 page) | 16 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 2 | (2023 page) | 19 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 3 | (2025 page) | 20 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 4 | (2021 page) | 20 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 5 | (2019 page) | 20 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 6 | (2024 page) | 21 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 7 | (2022 page) | 21 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 8 | (2020 page) | 21 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 9 | (2020 page) | 22 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 10 | (2024 page) | 23 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Right now in Jackson
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Jackson's AQI at 26 (O3). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Jackson air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Jackson, MS), 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.