Metro area air quality · 2025

Durango, CO

Median AQI 50 (Good). 53.3% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

50
Median AQI
53.3%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
16%
Cleaner than US metros

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 304 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

The Durango, CO metro runs good on the EPA scale, among the more polluted US metros, a median AQI of 50 with 53.3% of 304 monitored days in the Good band.

50
median AQI · Good
53.3%
days rated Good
16%
cleaner than US metros
112
worst single reading

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

Insights: Durango, CO metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 50 over 304 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Moderate metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 162 Good days (53%), 140 Moderate (46%), and 2 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (1%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 77 while the highest single-day reading hit 112 (USG). Metro residents averaged roughly 16.0 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, good days shifted by -111 and the median AQI moved +5 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 Birmingham-Hoover, AL (51.9% good, AQI 50); Boulder, CO (50.9% good, AQI 50); Laramie, WY (51.9% good, AQI 50).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

50

Good

Good Days

53.3%

162 of 304 days

Max AQI

112

USG

Health Grade

Moderate

90th pct: 77

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 304 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

162

53%

Moderate

140

46%

USG

2

1%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Moderate

The Durango, CO metro area's air quality is rated Moderate based on 53.3% 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 Durango, CO metro compare?

How Durango, CO compares

Good-day share worse than US avg
Durango, CO 53.3%
Birmingham-Hoover, AL 51.9%
US average 71.3%
Median AQI worse than US avg
Durango, CO 50
Birmingham-Hoover, AL 50
US average 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than US avg
Durango, CO 0
Birmingham-Hoover, AL 0
US average 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Durango, CO metro. Best year: 2020 (273 good days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 273 91 0 45
2021 239 121 0 47
2022 266 98 0 46
2023 237 123 2 46
2024 241 123 0 46
2025 162 140 0 50

Metros with Similar Air Quality

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

Birmingham-Hoover, AL

AQI 50 · 51.9% good

50

Boulder, CO

AQI 50 · 50.9% good

50

Laramie, WY

AQI 50 · 51.9% good

50

Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

AQI 50 · 51.0% good

50

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN

AQI 50 · 51.1% good

50

Ogden-Clearfield, UT

AQI 50 · 52.5% good

50

More Air Quality Data

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

Cleanest Metro Areas

U.S. metros ranked by their share of Good air-quality days.

Worst Air Quality

Counties and metros with the most unhealthy air days.

All Metro Areas

Annual AQI by CBSA for every monitored U.S. metro area.

Best and Worst City Air

What drives urban air quality and how metro areas compare.

Air Quality Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the air quality in the Durango, CO metro area? ▼
The Durango, CO metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 50, rated "Good." 53.3% of monitored days (162 out of 304) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Durango, CO have? ▼
In 2025, the Durango, CO metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 112.
Is air quality in Durango, CO getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in the Durango, CO metro is worsening based on 5-year trends (2020-2025). Best year: 2020 with 273 good days. Worst year: 2025 with 162 good days.
What does AQI 50 mean for health? ▼
An AQI of 50 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 Durango, CO? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for the Durango, CO metro area is 77, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 112 (USG).
How does Durango, CO compare to other metro areas? ▼
The Durango, CO metro has 53.3% good air days. Similar metros: Birmingham-Hoover, AL (51.9% good), Boulder, CO (50.9% good), Laramie, WY (51.9% 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.

Read our methodology , how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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.