Imperial, California Air Quality

Imperial County, California (CA)

↓ Improvingover 10 years

Air Quality Grade

45/100

Current Median AQI

Moderate

5-Year Avg AQI

-8

10-Year Change

Better

Unhealthy Days/yr

5-year average

PM2.5

Primary Pollutant

Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5)

10-Year AQI Trend

The solid line shows the median AQI each year. The dashed line shows the 90th percentile (worst 10% of days). This area has seen measurable air quality improvement over the decade.

Air Quality Day Breakdown

Number of days per year in each EPA AQI category. Green = Good (AQI 0-50), Yellow = Moderate (51-100), Orange = Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150), Red = Unhealthy or worse (151+).

Year-by-Year Data

Year	Median AQI	90th Pct	Max AQI	Good Days	Moderate	Unhealthy+	Pollutant
2023	61	105	506	104	214	47	Ozone
2022	61	106	791	86	232	47	Ozone
2021	60	97	436	84	252	29	Ozone
2020	60	97	166	94	244	28	Ozone
2019	61	93	185	94	250	21	Ozone
2018	64	108	286	67	248	50	PM2.5
2017	64	104	328	73	250	42	PM2.5
2016	61	105	546	64	257	45	PM2.5
2015	66	105	184	49	274	42	PM2.5
2014	69	112	352	24	287	54	PM2.5

What This Means for Imperial County Residents

Imperial, California has received an Air Quality Grade of D (45/100) based on a decade of EPA monitoring data. The current median AQI of 61 falls in the "Moderate" range.

Encouragingly, air quality here has been improving, with the median AQI dropping by 8 points over the monitoring period. This trend suggests continued investment in emission controls and cleaner energy.

The primary pollutant affecting this area is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5). Over the past 5 years, this area has averaged 34 unhealthy air quality days per year — days when sensitive groups (children, elderly, those with respiratory conditions) should limit outdoor activity.