El Paso Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for El Paso (El Paso, TX area) was March 18, 2025, when the daily AQI reached 2122 (Hazardous), set by coarse dust (PM10). Across 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025, 10 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 10 of the 10 were driven by coarse dust (PM10), and 9 of them fell in 2025. The cleanest day was November 7, 2019 at AQI 20 (Good); the 10 best days span 6 different years.
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When were El Paso's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: March 18, 2025, AQI 2122 (Hazardous, PM10). Best: November 7, 2019, AQI 20 (Good). Based on 2,557 EPA-monitored days in the El Paso, TX area, 2019–2025.
- ✓10 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 431 (Hazardous).
- ✓Coarse dust (PM10) drove 10 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2025 accounts for 9 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in El Paso?▾
March 18, 2025: the El Paso, TX area's daily AQI hit 2122 (Hazardous), driven by coarse dust (PM10). That is the highest of 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in El Paso?▾
November 7, 2019, with a daily AQI of 20 (Good). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area, so even the cleanest day reflects the area's worst monitor.
What was El Paso's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
March 18, 2025, AQI 2122 (Hazardous), set by coarse dust (PM10).
Which pollutant causes El Paso's worst air days?▾
Coarse dust (PM10) set the AQI on 10 of the 10 worst days. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
El Paso's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the El Paso, TX area (EPA AQS). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area that day.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2025 page) | 2122 | Hazardous | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
| 2 | (2025 page) | 1342 | Hazardous | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
| 3 | (2025 page) | 1139 | Hazardous | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
| 4 | (2025 page) | 1059 | Hazardous | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
| 5 | (2025 page) | 762 | Hazardous | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
| 6 | (2025 page) | 710 | Hazardous | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
| 7 | (2025 page) | 633 | Hazardous | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
| 8 | (2025 page) | 607 | Hazardous | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
| 9 | (2025 page) | 446 | Hazardous | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
| 10 | (2024 page) | 431 | Hazardous | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
Worst day of each year in El Paso
The single highest-AQI day in each year on record. Click a year for its full month-by-month statistics.
| Year | Worst day | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 159 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2020 | 192 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2021 | 150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2022 | 163 | Unhealthy | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) | |
| 2023 | 155 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2024 | 431 | Hazardous | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) | |
| 2025 | 2122 | Hazardous | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
El Paso's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the El Paso, TX area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2019 page) | 20 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 2 | (2021 page) | 25 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 3 | (2020 page) | 26 | Good | NO2 — nitrogen dioxide |
| 4 | (2021 page) | 28 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 5 | (2020 page) | 28 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 6 | (2025 page) | 29 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 7 | (2025 page) | 29 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 8 | (2024 page) | 29 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 9 | (2023 page) | 29 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 10 | (2023 page) | 30 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
Right now in El Paso
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts El Paso's AQI at 39 (PM2.5). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current El Paso air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (El Paso, TX), 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.