Metro area air quality · 2025

La Grande, OR

Median AQI 22 (Good). 92.8% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

22
Median AQI
92.8%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
88%
Cleaner than US metros

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 181 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

The La Grande, OR metro runs good on the EPA scale, cleaner than most US metros, a median AQI of 22 with 92.8% of 181 monitored days in the Good band.

22
median AQI · Good
92.8%
days rated Good
88%
cleaner than US metros
70
worst single reading

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

Insights: La Grande, OR metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 22 over 181 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Excellent metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 168 Good days (93%), 13 Moderate (7%), and 0 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 42 while the highest single-day reading hit 70 (Moderate). Metro residents averaged roughly 27.8 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, good days shifted by -132 and the median AQI moved -5 points, which classifies the multi-year trajectory as improving. 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 Bend-Redmond, OR (93.4% good, AQI 22); Ellensburg, WA (84.8% good, AQI 22); Emporia, KS (88.9% good, AQI 22).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

22

Good

Good Days

92.8%

168 of 181 days

Max AQI

70

Moderate

Health Grade

Excellent

90th pct: 42

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 181 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

168

93%

Moderate

13

7%

USG

0

0%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Excellent

The La Grande, OR metro area's air quality is rated Excellent based on 92.8% 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 La Grande, OR metro compare?

How La Grande, OR compares

Good-day share better than US avg
La Grande, OR 92.8%
Bend-Redmond, OR 93.4%
US average 71.3%
Median AQI better than US avg
La Grande, OR 22
Bend-Redmond, OR 22
US average 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than US avg
La Grande, OR 0
Bend-Redmond, OR 0
US average 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is improving in the La Grande, OR metro. Best year: 2023 (305 good days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 300 57 4 27
2021 304 49 2 27
2022 283 74 0 28
2023 305 56 0 26
2024 303 61 0 23
2025 168 13 0 22

Metros with Similar Air Quality

Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to La Grande, OR.

Bend-Redmond, OR

AQI 22 · 93.4% good

22

Ellensburg, WA

AQI 22 · 84.8% good

22

Emporia, KS

AQI 22 · 88.9% good

22

Gardnerville Ranchos, NV

AQI 22 · 90.9% good

22

Hailey, ID

AQI 22 · 99.4% good

22

Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI

AQI 22 · 96.1% good

22

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 La Grande, OR metro area? ▼
The La Grande, OR metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 22, rated "Good." 92.8% of monitored days (168 out of 181) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does La Grande, OR have? ▼
In 2025, the La Grande, OR metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 70.
Is air quality in La Grande, OR getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in the La Grande, OR metro is improving based on 5-year trends (2020-2025). Best year: 2023 with 305 good days. Worst year: 2025 with 168 good days.
What does AQI 22 mean for health? ▼
An AQI of 22 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 La Grande, OR? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for the La Grande, OR metro area is 42, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 70 (Moderate).
How does La Grande, OR compare to other metro areas? ▼
The La Grande, OR metro has 92.8% good air days. Similar metros: Bend-Redmond, OR (93.4% good), Ellensburg, WA (84.8% good), Emporia, KS (88.9% 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.