Charleston, WV Air Quality in 2020

In 2020, Charleston's air quality (Charleston, WV area) had a median daily AQI of 41 (Good) across 366 monitored days. 0 days (0.0%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 287 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 85 (Moderate). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 204 of those days. The cleanest month of 2020 was January (median AQI 34, 0 days above 100) and the worst was July (median 48, 0 days above 100, peak 74).

41
Median AQI
Good
0
Days above AQI 100
0.0% of 366 days
55
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
85
Peak AQI
Moderate
PM2.5
Main pollutant
204 of 366 days
287
Good days
78.4% of days
  • Good: 78.4%
  • Moderate: 21.6%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%

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QUICK ANSWER

How was Charleston's air quality in 2020?

Good on a typical day: median AQI 41, with 0 days above AQI 100 out of 366 monitored — the 3rd cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.

  • Peak AQI in 2020: 85 (Moderate).
  • Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was the main pollutant on 204 days.
  • Cleanest month: January; worst: July.

Frequently asked questions

What was the average AQI in Charleston in 2020?

EPA's Air Quality System puts Charleston's (Charleston, WV) median daily AQI for 2020 at 41, which is Good. 0 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 85.

Which month had the worst air quality in Charleston in 2020?

The cleanest month of 2020 was January (median AQI 34, 0 days above 100) and the worst was July (median 48, 0 days above 100, peak 74).

Was 2020 a good or bad year for Charleston's air?

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2020 ranks 3rd cleanest by days above AQI 100. 2020's median of 41 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 41.

Charleston month by month in 2020

Charleston air quality month by month, 2020 (Charleston, WV, EPA AQS daily AQI)

MonthDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
Januarycleanest3134059PM2.5
February2939056PM2.5
March3139055O3
April3046061O3
May3139055O3
June3045085O3
Julyworst3148074PM2.5
August3144060PM2.5
September3035055O3
October3137055PM2.5
November3045065PM2.5
December3142063PM2.5

How 2020 compares

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2020 ranks 3rd cleanest by days above AQI 100.

2020's median of 41 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 41.

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

Right now in Charleston

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Charleston's AQI at 32 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.

View current Charleston air quality →

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