Knoxville Air Quality in May
Across 2019–2025, Knoxville's May air quality had a median AQI of 50 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Knoxville, TN area. 0.9% of May days (2 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 55.8% of days. The cleanest May on record here was 2020 (median AQI 44, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2019 (median 60, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 115).
- Good: 52.1%
- Moderate: 47.0%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.9%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Knoxville
Today's main pollutant in Knoxville is ground-level ozone (AQI 36). 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.
How is the air in Knoxville in May?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 50 across 2019–2025, with 0.9% of May days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓52.1% of May days were Good (AQI 0–50), 47.0% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓2 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the May peak was 115.
- ✓Best May: 2020; worst May: 2019.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Knoxville in May?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Knoxville in May was 50 (Good). 52.1% of days were Good, 47.0% Moderate, and 0.9% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is May a good time for outdoor exercise in Knoxville?▾
A typical May day in Knoxville sits in the Good range (median AQI 50), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of May days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Knoxville's May air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 55.8% of May days in Knoxville. The highest May AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 115 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2019.
Knoxville May air quality, year by year
Knoxville May air quality by year (Knoxville, TN, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019worst | 31 | 60 | 1 | 115 | PM2.5 |
| 2020cleanest | 31 | 44 | 0 | 61 | O3 |
| 2021 | 31 | 56 | 1 | 101 | O3 |
| 2022 | 31 | 51 | 0 | 93 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 31 | 54 | 0 | 87 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 31 | 49 | 0 | 67 | O3 |
| 2025 | 31 | 44 | 0 | 57 | O3 |
What May air means in Knoxville
A typical May day in Knoxville sits in the Good range (median AQI 50), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of May days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
May's median AQI of 50 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 May AQI across every EPA metro area (104,064 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 44, so Knoxville runs above the national May norm; 0.9% of its May days topped AQI 100 versus 1.3% nationally (about the same).
May is part of Knoxville's spring season (March, April, May); the spring 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 36 (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.