Metro area air quality · 2025
Fairbanks, AK
Median AQI 44 (Good). 56.4% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.
- 44
- Median AQI
- 56.4%
- Good-air days
- 10
- Unhealthy days
- 19%
- Cleaner than US metros
Fairbanks, AK posted a 2025 median AQI of 44 (Good) with 56.4% Good days
According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Fairbanks, AK CBSA recorded a median AQI of 44 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 56.4% rated Good and 10 unhealthy or worse. This is an annual metro comparison, not a live advisory.
Data source EPA Air Quality System (AQS)
- Cleaner than US metros
- The Fairbanks, AK CBSA's 56.4% Good-day share places it cleaner than 19% of US metros in 2025.
- Closest median-AQI peer
- Bartlesville, OK (68.0% Good, median AQI 44) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Fairbanks, AK.
- 2020–2025 Good-day shift
- Fairbanks, AK's Good-day share moved -8.2 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI +5).
- Median AQI
- Median AQI: 44
Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 365 monitored days. EPA AQS →
The verdict
Fairbanks, AK lands in the lower Good-day tercile (56.4% Good), a thinner clean-air share than most CBSA peers here. On the EPA scale the metro runs good, among the more polluted US metros, with a median AQI of 44 and 56.4% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.
- 44
- median AQI · Good
- 56.4%
- days rated Good
- 19%
- cleaner than US metros
- 190
- worst single reading
10 days reached Unhealthy or worse across the metro's monitors in 2025.
Annual release change
What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release
- Fairbanks, AK metro's peak single-day AQI fell from 325 to 190 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -135 points.
- Fairbanks, AK metro's Good-day share fell from 61.0% to 58.0% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -3.0 percentage points.
- Fairbanks, AK metro's Unhealthy-category days rose from 8 to 10 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +2 days.
Fairbanks, AK lands in the lower Good-day tercile (56.4% Good), a thinner clean-air share than most CBSA peers here. Signature read: 56.4% Good-day share (low tercile vs CBSA corpus). Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 44 over 365 measured days in 2025 (Good / Moderate). The monitored-day split lands at 206 Good (56%), 139 Moderate (38%), and 10 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (3%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 85; the highest single-day reading hit 190 (Unhealthy).
Across 2020–2025, Good-day share shifted -8.2 points and median AQI moved +5 (worsening). The annual record contains 10 days at Unhealthy or worse. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Bartlesville, OK (68.0% good, AQI 44); Berlin, NH-VT (81.5% good, AQI 44); Bloomington, IL (66.0% good, AQI 44).
Air Quality Summary
Median AQI
44
Good
Good Days
56.4%
206 of 365 days
Max AQI
190
Unhealthy
Health Grade
Moderate
90th pct: 85
AQI Day Breakdown (2025)
Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.
Good
206
56%
Moderate
139
38%
USG
10
3%
Unhealthy
10
3%
Very Unhealthy
0
0%
Hazardous
0
0%
Health Impact Assessment
The Fairbanks, AK metro area's air quality is rated Moderate based on 56.4% good air days. There were 10 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.
Air quality is acceptable most days, but 10 days reached "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" and peak AQI reached 190. Sensitive groups should monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov.
How does the Fairbanks, AK metro compare?
How Fairbanks, AK compares
5-Year Air Quality Trend
Air quality is worsening in the Fairbanks, AK metro. Highest Good-day share: 2020 (66.2%, 231 of 349 monitored days).
| Year | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy | Median AQI | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 231 | 98 | 20 | 39 | 177 |
| 2021 | 211 | 120 | 13 | 42 | 189 |
| 2022 | 213 | 105 | 27 | 43 | 310 |
| 2023 | 224 | 109 | 10 | 41 | 231 |
| 2024 | 213 | 128 | 8 | 42 | 325 |
| 2025 | 206 | 139 | 10 | 44 | 190 |
Metros with a similar median AQI
CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Fairbanks, AK (44).
Bartlesville, OK
Median AQI 44 · 68.0% Good-day share
Berlin, NH-VT
Median AQI 44 · 81.5% Good-day share
Bloomington, IL
Median AQI 44 · 66.0% Good-day share
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Median AQI 44 · 71.0% Good-day share
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
Median AQI 44 · 64.7% Good-day share
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY
Median AQI 44 · 63.8% Good-day share
Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure
A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to Fairbanks, AK's 10 (independent of median AQI).
El Centro, CA
10 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 64
Bemidji, MN
9 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 36
Deming, NM
9 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 17
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
11 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 63
Wenatchee, WA
9 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 35
Brainerd, MN
8 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 39
Frequently Asked Questions
How many unhealthy air days does Fairbanks, AK have? ▼
What is the air quality in the Fairbanks, AK metro area? ▼
Is air quality in Fairbanks, AK getting better or worse? ▼
What does AQI 44 mean for health? ▼
How does Fairbanks, AK compare to other metro areas? ▼
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Fairbanks, AK? ▼
Data Sources
Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by CBSA dataset for Fairbanks, AK, 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, Fairbanks, AK · 2020–2025