Pittsburgh Air Quality in 2023

In 2023, Pittsburgh's air quality (Pittsburgh, PA area) had a median daily AQI of 58 (Moderate) across 365 monitored days. 24 days (6.6%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 98 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 237 (Very Unhealthy). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 293 of those days. The cleanest month of 2023 was October (median AQI 44, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 94, 14 days above 100, peak 237).

58
Median AQI
Moderate
24
Days above AQI 100
6.6% of 365 days
89
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
237
Peak AQI
Very Unhealthy
PM2.5
Main pollutant
293 of 365 days
98
Good days
26.8% of days
  • Good: 26.8%
  • Moderate: 66.6%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 5.5%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 1.1%

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QUICK ANSWER

How was Pittsburgh's air quality in 2023?

Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 58, with 24 days above AQI 100 out of 365 monitored — the 7th cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.

  • Peak AQI in 2023: 237 (Very Unhealthy).
  • Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was the main pollutant on 293 days.
  • Cleanest month: October; worst: June.

Frequently asked questions

What was the average AQI in Pittsburgh in 2023?

EPA's Air Quality System puts Pittsburgh's (Pittsburgh, PA) median daily AQI for 2023 at 58, which is Moderate. 24 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 237.

Which month had the worst air quality in Pittsburgh in 2023?

The cleanest month of 2023 was October (median AQI 44, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 94, 14 days above 100, peak 237).

Was 2023 a good or bad year for Pittsburgh'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 58 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 58.

Pittsburgh month by month in 2023

Pittsburgh air quality month by month, 2023 (Pittsburgh, PA, EPA AQS daily AQI)

MonthDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
January3158085PM2.5
February28631106PM2.5
March31551105PM2.5
April30603124PM2.5
May31641114PM2.5
Juneworst309414237PM2.5
July31661148PM2.5
August3156089PM2.5
September3052078PM2.5
Octobercleanest3144084PM2.5
November30572112PM2.5
December31541108PM2.5

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 58 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 58.

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

Right now in Pittsburgh

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Pittsburgh's AQI at 53 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.

View current Pittsburgh air quality →

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