Knoxville Air Quality in 2022

In 2022, Knoxville's air quality (Knoxville, TN area) had a median daily AQI of 52 (Moderate) across 365 monitored days. 2 days (0.5%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 167 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 162 (Unhealthy). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 239 of those days. The cleanest month of 2022 was September (median AQI 44, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 60, 1 day above 100, peak 115).

52
Median AQI
Moderate
2
Days above AQI 100
0.5% of 365 days
66
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
162
Peak AQI
Unhealthy
PM2.5
Main pollutant
239 of 365 days
167
Good days
45.8% of days
  • Good: 45.8%
  • Moderate: 53.7%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.3%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.3%

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QUICK ANSWER

How was Knoxville's air quality in 2022?

Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 52, with 2 days above AQI 100 out of 365 monitored — the 4th cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.

  • Peak AQI in 2022: 162 (Unhealthy).
  • Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was the main pollutant on 239 days.
  • Cleanest month: September; worst: June.

Frequently asked questions

What was the average AQI in Knoxville in 2022?

EPA's Air Quality System puts Knoxville's (Knoxville, TN) median daily AQI for 2022 at 52, which is Moderate. 2 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 162.

Which month had the worst air quality in Knoxville in 2022?

The cleanest month of 2022 was September (median AQI 44, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 60, 1 day above 100, peak 115).

Was 2022 a good or bad year for Knoxville's air?

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2022 ranks 4th cleanest by days above AQI 100. 2022's median of 52 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 52.

Knoxville month by month in 2022

Knoxville air quality month by month, 2022 (Knoxville, TN, EPA AQS daily AQI)

MonthDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
January3155073PM2.5
February2852071PM2.5
March3148097O3
April3050077O3
May3151093PM2.5
Juneworst30601115O3
July3152077PM2.5
August3151067PM2.5
Septembercleanest3044067O3
October31471162PM2.5
November3053065PM2.5
December3151066PM2.5

How 2022 compares

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2022 ranks 4th cleanest by days above AQI 100.

2022's median of 52 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 52.

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

Right now in Knoxville

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Knoxville's AQI at 50 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.

View current Knoxville air quality →

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