Albuquerque Air Quality in 2020

In 2020, Albuquerque's air quality (Albuquerque, NM area) had a median daily AQI of 57 (Moderate) across 366 monitored days. 10 days (2.7%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 101 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 214 (Very Unhealthy). Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 170 of those days. The cleanest month of 2020 was February (median AQI 44, 0 days above 100) and the worst was August (median 58, 6 days above 100, peak 119).

57
Median AQI
Moderate
10
Days above AQI 100
2.7% of 366 days
78
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
214
Peak AQI
Very Unhealthy
O3
Main pollutant
170 of 366 days
101
Good days
27.6% of days
  • Good: 27.6%
  • Moderate: 69.7%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 2.2%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.5%

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QUICK ANSWER

How was Albuquerque's air quality in 2020?

Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 57, with 10 days above AQI 100 out of 366 monitored — the 3rd cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.

  • Peak AQI in 2020: 214 (Very Unhealthy).
  • Ground-level ozone was the main pollutant on 170 days.
  • Cleanest month: February; worst: August.

Frequently asked questions

What was the average AQI in Albuquerque in 2020?

EPA's Air Quality System puts Albuquerque's (Albuquerque, NM) median daily AQI for 2020 at 57, which is Moderate. 10 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 214.

Which month had the worst air quality in Albuquerque in 2020?

The cleanest month of 2020 was February (median AQI 44, 0 days above 100) and the worst was August (median 58, 6 days above 100, peak 119).

Was 2020 a good or bad year for Albuquerque's air?

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2020 ranks 3rd cleanest by days above AQI 100. 2020's median of 57 is below the area's typical annual median of 61.

Albuquerque month by month in 2020

Albuquerque air quality month by month, 2020 (Albuquerque, NM, EPA AQS daily AQI)

MonthDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
January3153067PM2.5
Februarycleanest2944069PM2.5
March3145058O3
April3050064O3
May3162093O3
June30600100O3
July3158084O3
Augustworst31586119O3
September30641214O3
October31682198PM10
November30601120PM2.5
December3164091PM2.5

How 2020 compares

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2020 ranks 3rd cleanest by days above AQI 100.

2020's median of 57 is below the area's typical annual median of 61.

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

Right now in Albuquerque

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Albuquerque's AQI at 61 (PM10). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.

View current Albuquerque air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Albuquerque, NM), 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.