Metro area air quality · 2025

Cañon City, CO

Median AQI 25 (Good). 91.1% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

25
Median AQI
91.1%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
85%
Cleaner than US metros

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 270 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

The Cañon City, CO metro runs good on the EPA scale, cleaner than most US metros, a median AQI of 25 with 91.1% of 270 monitored days in the Good band.

25
median AQI · Good
91.1%
days rated Good
85%
cleaner than US metros
77
worst single reading

No day crossed into the Unhealthy tier across the metro's monitors in 2025.

Insights: Cañon City, CO metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 25 over 270 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Excellent metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 246 Good days (91%), 24 Moderate (9%), and 0 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 49 while the highest single-day reading hit 77 (Moderate). Metro residents averaged roughly 27.3 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, good days shifted by +229 and the median AQI moved +14 points, which classifies the multi-year trajectory as worsening. The metro avoided any Unhealthy-tier days entirely, an outcome that typically reflects favorable wind patterns, lower industrial density, or effective regional emission controls. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Aberdeen, SD (87.1% good, AQI 25); Anchorage, AK (78.6% good, AQI 25); Lubbock, TX (89.9% good, AQI 25).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

25

Good

Good Days

91.1%

246 of 270 days

Max AQI

77

Moderate

Health Grade

Excellent

90th pct: 49

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 270 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

246

91%

Moderate

24

9%

USG

0

0%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Excellent

The Cañon City, CO metro area's air quality is rated Excellent based on 91.1% good air days. No unhealthy air days were recorded in 2025.

Air quality is generally acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov during high-pollution events.

How does the Cañon City, CO metro compare?

How Cañon City, CO compares

Good-day share better than US avg
Cañon City, CO 91.1%
Aberdeen, SD 87.1%
US average 71.3%
Median AQI better than US avg
Cañon City, CO 25
Aberdeen, SD 25
US average 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than US avg
Cañon City, CO 0
Aberdeen, SD 0
US average 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Cañon City, CO metro. Best year: 2024 (354 good days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 17 0 0 11
2021 85 1 0 15
2022 115 3 0 12
2023 162 1 0 12
2024 354 8 0 13
2025 246 24 0 25

Metros with Similar Air Quality

Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to Cañon City, CO.

More Air Quality Data

Explore EPA air quality rankings and guides across U.S. metros and counties.

Air Quality Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the air quality in the Cañon City, CO metro area?
The Cañon City, CO metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 25, rated "Good." 91.1% of monitored days (246 out of 270) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Cañon City, CO have?
In 2025, the Cañon City, CO metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 77.
Is air quality in Cañon City, CO getting better or worse?
Air quality in the Cañon City, CO metro is worsening based on 5-year trends (2020-2025). Best year: 2024 with 354 good days. Worst year: 2020 with 17 good days.
What does AQI 25 mean for health?
An AQI of 25 is "Good", air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no health risk. This is the best category on the EPA's AQI scale.
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Cañon City, CO?
The 90th percentile AQI for the Cañon City, CO metro area is 49, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 77 (Moderate).
How does Cañon City, CO compare to other metro areas?
The Cañon City, CO metro has 91.1% good air days. Similar metros: Aberdeen, SD (87.1% good), Anchorage, AK (78.6% good), Lubbock, TX (89.9% good).

Data Sources

Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by CBSA dataset, 2020–2025. See our methodology for how AQI, median, and coverage figures are computed.

Source: U.S. EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by CBSA summary files (metro-level) · 2020–2025

Every figure on PlainAir 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.