Maryland · County air quality · 2025

Washington County, Maryland

Median AQI 40 (Good). 79.0% of monitored days rated Good, direct from EPA Air Quality System stations.

40
Median AQI
79.0%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
54%
Cleaner than US counties

Washington County's 2025 annual median AQI is 40 (Good), with 79.0% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, Washington County, Maryland posted a 2025 median AQI of 40 (Good) across 361 monitored days, with 79.0% rated Good and 0 unhealthy or worse. This is an annual comparison, not today's advisory.

Data source EPA Air Quality System (AQS)

Cleaner than US
Washington County's 79.0% Good-day share places it cleaner than 54% of US counties in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer
Anderson County (91.3% Good, median AQI 40) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Washington County.
2020–2025 trend
Washington County's floor-qualifying Good-day share is stable from 2020 to 2025 (80.2% → 78.9%).
Median AQI
Median AQI: 40

The verdict

According to EPA Air Quality System monitoring data, Washington County's air is good on balance, cleaner than the median US county, a median AQI of 40 with 79.0% of 361 monitored days in the Good band, driven mainly by Ozone.

40
median AQI · Good
79.0%
days rated Good
Ozone
main pollutant
54%
cleaner than US counties

Not one day crossed into the Unhealthy tier; the worst single reading was AQI 90.

Data updated August 2026

Washington County AQI category distribution Stacked-segment bar showing the share of monitored days that fell in each EPA AQI category, Good, Moderate, USG, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, Hazardous, with median AQI marker. AQI category distribution 361 monitored days G M Median AQI 40 0 50 100 150 200 300 500 Washington County
  • Good · 285 d · 78.9%
  • Moderate · 76 d · 21.1%

How did Washington County's air break down in 2025?

Across 361 monitored days, 285 fell in the Good band (AQI 0–50) and 0 reached Unhealthy or worse. The worst single day peaked at AQI 90 (Moderate).

EPA AQS →

Air quality data from EPA Air Quality System (2025). 361 days monitored. Median AQI: 40 (Good).

Insights: Washington County, Maryland. EPA monitors recorded a median Air Quality Index of 40 across 361 measured days in 2025, earning a Good classification and a Good health grade. Of those days, 285 (79%) fell in the Good band (AQI 0–50), 76 (21%) registered Moderate readings, and 0 (0%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. The 90th-percentile AQI settled at 58, while the worst single-day peak hit 90 (Moderate). Residents averaged about 23.7 clean-air days per 30-day window during the monitoring year.

The full pollutant mix ranks as Ozone (195 days), PM2.5 (166 days). Across the 2020–2025 trend window, the share of monitored days rated Good shifted by -1.3 points and the median AQI moved +0 points, placing the multi-year trajectory at stable. The worst single reading over the 2020–2025 window was AQI 90, moderate but never Unhealthy. Nearby counties show comparable readings: Anne Arundel (87.6% good, AQI 40); Baltimore (64.7% good, AQI 45); Baltimore (City) (68.1% good, AQI 43); Calvert (94.6% good, AQI 38); Carroll (90.3% good, AQI 38); Cecil (79.8% good, AQI 41).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

40

Good

Good Days

79.0%

285 of 361 monitored days

4.0pp vs 75% target

Max AQI Recorded

90

Moderate

Health Grade

Good

90th-pct AQI 58

Washington County, Good days share 79.0%
National avg

Share of monitored days at AQI 0-50 (Good band).

Washington County, Unhealthy-or-worse share 0.0%
National avg

Share of monitored days above AQI 150 (Unhealthy or worse). Bar maxes at 10% (worst-county ceiling).

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 361 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

285

79%

Moderate

76

21%

USG

0

0%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Pollutant Breakdown

Days where each pollutant was the primary driver of AQI readings in Washington County.

Washington County, Maryland criteria pollutant distribution Stratified-band visualization showing the share of monitored days each criteria pollutant (PM2.5, PM10, O3, NO2, CO) was the primary AQI driver. Ozone · 54.0% PM2.5 · 46.0% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Washington County, Maryland · 361 monitored days Criteria pollutant column
  • Ozone · 195 days · 54.0%
  • PM2.5 · 166 days · 46.0%
Ozone (O3) 195 days (54%)

How Ozone affects health →

Fine Particles (PM2.5) 166 days (46%)

How PM2.5 affects health →

Health Impact Assessment

Good

Washington County's air quality is rated Good based on 79.0% good air days. No unhealthy air days were recorded in 2025.

Air quality was acceptable on 79.0% of monitored days in 2025, with a median AQI of 40. Unusually sensitive people can check real-time conditions at AirNow.gov during high-pollution events.

The dominant pollutant is Ozone, driving AQI on 195 of 361 monitored days.

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is stable in Washington County. Highest Good-day share: 2022 (82.3%, 283 of 344 monitored days).

Year Good Moderate USG Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 288 71 0 0 40
2021 244 115 1 0 44
2022 283 61 0 0 40
2023 267 82 4 2 42
2024 287 75 0 0 40
2025 285 76 0 0 40

How does Washington County compare?

How Washington County compares

Good-day share better than typical
Washington County 79.0%
Anderson County, South Carolina 91.3%
Typical US county 76.0%
Median AQI worse than typical
Washington County 40
Anderson County, South Carolina 40
Typical US county 39
Unhealthy days / yr better than typical
Washington County 0
Anderson County, South Carolina 0
Typical US county 1

Counties with a similar median AQI

Nationwide peers within about the same annual median AQI as Washington County (40), not geographic neighbors.

Same primary pollutant: Ozone

Ozone led the AQI on the most monitored days here. These peers share that driver and the closest Good-day share (a second relationship type beyond median-AQI neighbors).

Maryland counties on the map

Geographic containment only, other monitored counties in Maryland, independent of AQI or pollutant match.

What Washington County's air means for you

The air here stays in the breathable range year-round, with Ozone the main thing to watch.

  • Sensitive groups (asthma, heart conditions, children, older adults) should check the AQI on high-Ozone days, the guide explains what a median of 40 means for exposure. Health guidance
  • See how Washington County ranks against every monitored U.S. county on Good-day share. County rankings
  • Compare Washington County with its Maryland neighbours before drawing a conclusion about the region. All of Maryland

Based on 361 EPA-monitored days in 2025; figures reflect only days the monitors reported. Source: EPA Air Quality System annual summaries.

Keep exploring the annual AQI record

Air-quality reading list

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the air quality in Washington County, Maryland?
Washington County has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 40, rated "Good." 79.0% of monitored days (285 out of 361) had good air quality in 2025.
What is the main pollutant in Washington County?
The primary pollutant in Washington County is Ozone (O3), which was the main AQI driver on 195 days (54% of monitored days). Can trigger asthma, reduce lung function, and cause chest pain.
How many unhealthy air days does Washington County have?
In 2025, Washington County recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 90.
Is the air quality in Washington County getting better or worse?
Air quality in Washington County is stable across floor-qualifying years (2020-2025); years with fewer than 100 monitored days are excluded from that direction. Highest qualifying Good-day share: 2022 at 82.3% (283 of 344 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2021 at 67.8% (244 of 360 days).
What does AQI 40 mean for health?
Washington County's median AQI of 40 falls in the "Good" category. See the AQI category guide for what each range means for health.
How does Washington County compare to other counties in Maryland?
Washington County has 79.0% good air days. Nearby counties in Maryland: Anne Arundel (87.6% good), Baltimore (64.7% good), Baltimore (City) (68.1% good), Calvert (94.6% good), Carroll (90.3% good), Cecil (79.8% good).
What is the 90th percentile AQI in Washington County?
The 90th percentile AQI for Washington County is 58, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 90 (Moderate).

Data Sources

Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by County dataset, 2020–2025 (aqs.epa.gov). For current conditions (not shown here — this page is historical annual data), see EPA AirNow (airnow.gov). See our methodology for how AQI, median, and coverage figures are computed.

Informational only, not professional advice. Data from EPA AQS. See our disclaimer. Spotted a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.

Source: U.S. EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by county summary files for Washington County, Maryland · 2020–2025

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Every figure on PlainAirData is rendered directly from EPA AQS air-quality monitoring data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on EPA AQS air-quality monitoring data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.