Metro area air quality · 2025
Fort Dodge, IA
Median AQI 48 (Good). 54.5% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.
- 48
- Median AQI
- 54.5%
- Good-air days
- 2
- Unhealthy days
- 17%
- Cleaner than US metros
Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 123 monitored days. EPA AQS →
The verdict
The Fort Dodge, IA metro runs good on the EPA scale, among the more polluted US metros, a median AQI of 48 with 54.5% of 123 monitored days in the Good band.
- 48
- median AQI · Good
- 54.5%
- days rated Good
- 17%
- cleaner than US metros
- 165
- worst single reading
2 days reached Unhealthy or worse across the metro's monitors in 2025.
Insights: Fort Dodge, IA metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 48 over 123 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Moderate metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 67 Good days (54%), 52 Moderate (42%), and 2 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (2%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 68 while the highest single-day reading hit 165 (Unhealthy). Metro residents averaged roughly 16.3 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.
Across the 2025–2025 trend window, good days shifted by +0 and the median AQI moved +0 points, which classifies the multi-year trajectory as tracked. The metro recorded 2 unhealthy-or-worse days combined, on those days the EPA recommends that sensitive groups limit prolonged outdoor exertion, and many schools and athletic programs adjust outdoor activity accordingly. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Brookings, SD (53.0% good, AQI 48); Charleston-North Charleston, SC (58.2% good, AQI 48); Chattanooga, TN-GA (53.9% good, AQI 48).
Air Quality Summary
Median AQI
48
Good
Good Days
54.5%
67 of 123 days
Max AQI
165
Unhealthy
Health Grade
Moderate
90th pct: 68
AQI Day Breakdown (2025)
Distribution of 123 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.
Good
67
54%
Moderate
52
42%
USG
2
2%
Unhealthy
2
2%
Very Unhealthy
0
0%
Hazardous
0
0%
Health Impact Assessment
The Fort Dodge, IA metro area's air quality is rated Moderate based on 54.5% good air days. There were 2 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.
Air quality is acceptable most days, but 2 days reached "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" and peak AQI reached 165. Sensitive groups should monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov.
How does the Fort Dodge, IA metro compare?
How Fort Dodge, IA compares
Metros with Similar Air Quality
Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to Fort Dodge, IA.
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 Fort Dodge, IA metro area? ▼
How many unhealthy air days does Fort Dodge, IA have? ▼
Is air quality in Fort Dodge, IA getting better or worse? ▼
What does AQI 48 mean for health? ▼
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Fort Dodge, IA? ▼
How does Fort Dodge, IA compare to other metro areas? ▼
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.