Knoxville Air Quality in January
Across 2019–2025, Knoxville's January air quality had a median AQI of 49 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Knoxville, TN area. 0.0% of January days (0 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 78.3% of days. The cleanest January on record here was 2020 (median AQI 37, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2022 (median 55, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 73).
- Good: 51.2%
- Moderate: 48.8%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Knoxville
Today's main pollutant in Knoxville is ground-level ozone (AQI 29). 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.
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How is the air in Knoxville in January?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 49 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of January days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓51.2% of January days were Good (AQI 0–50), 48.8% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the January peak was 79.
- ✓Best January: 2020; worst January: 2022.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Knoxville in January?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Knoxville in January was 49 (Good). 51.2% of days were Good, 48.8% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is January a good time for outdoor exercise in Knoxville?▾
A typical January day in Knoxville sits in the Good range (median AQI 49), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of January days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Knoxville's January air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 78.3% of January days in Knoxville. The highest January AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 79 (Moderate), in 2022.
Knoxville January air quality, year by year
Knoxville January air quality by year (Knoxville, TN, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 50 | 0 | 62 | PM2.5 |
| 2020cleanest | 31 | 37 | 0 | 65 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 31 | 51 | 0 | 79 | PM2.5 |
| 2022worst | 31 | 55 | 0 | 73 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 31 | 52 | 0 | 68 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 31 | 43 | 0 | 66 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 31 | 49 | 0 | 63 | PM2.5 |
What January air means in Knoxville
A typical January day in Knoxville sits in the Good range (median AQI 49), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of January days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
January's median AQI of 49 is in line with Knoxville's whole-year median of 52, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median January AQI across every EPA metro area (95,602 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 39, so Knoxville runs above the national January norm; 0.0% of its January days topped AQI 100 versus 0.7% nationally (about the same).
January is part of Knoxville's winter season (December, January, February); the winter page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Knoxville
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Knoxville's AQI at 29 (O3). The figures above are multi-year month 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.