Virginia Beach Air Quality in May
Across 2019–2025, Virginia Beach's May air quality had a median AQI of 44 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC area. 0.0% of May days (0 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 66.4% of days. The cleanest May on record here was 2020 (median AQI 41, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2021 (median 48, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 90).
- Good: 70.0%
- Moderate: 30.0%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Extra Protection for Virginia Beach Homes
Air quality in Virginia Beach is moderate (AQI 61), with fine particles (PM2.5) the main concern. A True-HEPA purifier gives sensitive groups — kids, seniors and anyone with asthma or allergies — cleaner air indoors on days like today.
Recommended: Coway AP-1512HH Mighty — True HEPA + carbon · CADR ~246 CFM · rooms up to 361 sq ft
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How is the air in Virginia Beach in May?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 44 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of May days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓70.0% of May days were Good (AQI 0–50), 30.0% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the May peak was 90.
- ✓Best May: 2020; worst May: 2021.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Virginia Beach in May?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Virginia Beach in May was 44 (Good). 70.0% of days were Good, 30.0% Moderate, and 0.0% 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 Virginia Beach?▾
A typical May day in Virginia Beach sits in the Good range (median AQI 44), 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 Virginia Beach's May air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 66.4% of May days in Virginia Beach. The highest May AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 90 (Moderate), in 2021.
Virginia Beach May air quality, year by year
Virginia Beach May air quality by year (Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 48 | 0 | 71 | O3 |
| 2020cleanest | 31 | 41 | 0 | 55 | O3 |
| 2021worst | 31 | 48 | 0 | 90 | O3 |
| 2022 | 31 | 45 | 0 | 69 | O3 |
| 2023 | 31 | 46 | 0 | 74 | O3 |
| 2024 | 31 | 44 | 0 | 61 | O3 |
| 2025 | 31 | 43 | 0 | 62 | O3 |
What May air means in Virginia Beach
A typical May day in Virginia Beach sits in the Good range (median AQI 44), 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 44 is in line with Virginia Beach's whole-year median of 42, 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 Virginia Beach runs in line with the national May norm; 0.0% of its May days topped AQI 100 versus 1.3% nationally (below average).
May is part of Virginia Beach's spring season (March, April, May); the spring page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Virginia Beach
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Virginia Beach's AQI at 61 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.
View current Virginia Beach air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC), 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.