Metro area air quality · 2025

Fort Smith, AR-OK

Median AQI 42 (Good). 72.0% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

42
Median AQI
72.0%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
48%
Cleaner than US metros

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 211 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

The Fort Smith, AR-OK metro runs good on the EPA scale, more polluted than the median US metro, a median AQI of 42 with 72.0% of 211 monitored days in the Good band.

42
median AQI · Good
72.0%
days rated Good
48%
cleaner than US metros
138
worst single reading

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

Insights: Fort Smith, AR-OK metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 42 over 211 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Moderate metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 152 Good days (72%), 57 Moderate (27%), and 2 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (1%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 57 while the highest single-day reading hit 138 (USG). Metro residents averaged roughly 21.6 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, good days shifted by -152 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 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY (66.3% good, AQI 42); Bismarck, ND (75.8% good, AQI 42); Bloomington, IN (70.1% good, AQI 42).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

42

Good

Good Days

72.0%

152 of 211 days

Max AQI

138

USG

Health Grade

Moderate

90th pct: 57

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 211 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

152

72%

Moderate

57

27%

USG

2

1%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Moderate

The Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area's air quality is rated Moderate based on 72.0% 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 Fort Smith, AR-OK metro compare?

How Fort Smith, AR-OK compares

Good-day share better than US avg
Fort Smith, AR-OK 72.0%
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 66.3%
US average 71.3%
Median AQI worse than US avg
Fort Smith, AR-OK 42
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 42
US average 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than US avg
Fort Smith, AR-OK 0
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 0
US average 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro. Best year: 2020 (304 good days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 304 57 0 37
2021 250 108 0 41
2022 278 84 0 42
2023 227 138 0 46
2024 252 114 0 44
2025 152 57 0 42

Metros with Similar Air Quality

Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to Fort Smith, AR-OK.

Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY

AQI 42 · 66.3% good

42

Bismarck, ND

AQI 42 · 75.8% good

42

Bloomington, IN

AQI 42 · 70.1% good

42

Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL

AQI 42 · 74.4% good

42

Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL

AQI 42 · 72.2% good

42

Decatur, AL

AQI 42 · 81.1% good

42

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 Smith, AR-OK metro area? ▼
The Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 42, rated "Good." 72.0% of monitored days (152 out of 211) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Fort Smith, AR-OK have? ▼
In 2025, the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 138.
Is air quality in Fort Smith, AR-OK getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro is worsening based on 5-year trends (2020-2025). Best year: 2020 with 304 good days. Worst year: 2025 with 152 good days.
What does AQI 42 mean for health? ▼
An AQI of 42 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 Fort Smith, AR-OK? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area is 57, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 138 (USG).
How does Fort Smith, AR-OK compare to other metro areas? ▼
The Fort Smith, AR-OK metro has 72.0% good air days. Similar metros: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY (66.3% good), Bismarck, ND (75.8% good), Bloomington, IN (70.1% 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.