Burlington Air Quality in 2023

In 2023, Burlington's air quality (Burlington-South Burlington, VT area) had a median daily AQI of 42 (Good) across 365 monitored days. 6 days (1.6%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 259 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 160 (Unhealthy). Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 192 of those days. The cleanest month of 2023 was October (median AQI 33, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 45, 3 days above 100, peak 160).

42
Median AQI
Good
6
Days above AQI 100
1.6% of 365 days
59
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
160
Peak AQI
Unhealthy
O3
Main pollutant
192 of 365 days
259
Good days
71.0% of days
  • Good: 71.0%
  • Moderate: 27.4%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 1.1%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.5%

Reduce Indoor Ozone in Burlington

Today's main pollutant in Burlington is ground-level ozone (AQI 24). 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 300True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft

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QUICK ANSWER

How was Burlington's air quality in 2023?

Good on a typical day: median AQI 42, with 6 days above AQI 100 out of 365 monitored — the 7th cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.

  • Peak AQI in 2023: 160 (Unhealthy).
  • Ground-level ozone was the main pollutant on 192 days.
  • Cleanest month: October; worst: June.

Frequently asked questions

What was the average AQI in Burlington in 2023?

EPA's Air Quality System puts Burlington's (Burlington-South Burlington, VT) median daily AQI for 2023 at 42, which is Good. 6 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 160.

Which month had the worst air quality in Burlington in 2023?

The cleanest month of 2023 was October (median AQI 33, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 45, 3 days above 100, peak 160).

Was 2023 a good or bad year for Burlington's air?

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2023 ranks 7th cleanest by days above AQI 100 — the worst year on record here. 2023's median of 42 is above the area's typical annual median of 39.

Burlington month by month in 2023

Burlington air quality month by month, 2023 (Burlington-South Burlington, VT, EPA AQS daily AQI)

MonthDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
January3137056PM2.5
February2843057PM2.5
March3144059O3
April30461101O3
May3143080O3
Juneworst30453160PM2.5
July31502152PM2.5
August3138071PM2.5
September3039082PM2.5
Octobercleanest3133072O3
November3034060O3
December3143066PM2.5

How 2023 compares

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2023 ranks 7th cleanest by days above AQI 100 — the worst year on record here.

2023's median of 42 is above the area's typical annual median of 39.

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

Right now in Burlington

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Burlington's AQI at 24 (O3). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.

View current Burlington air quality →

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