Bakersfield, California Air Quality
Bakersfield air quality today — the AQI, the main pollutant, and whether it’s safe to exercise outside right now
Bakersfield, CA · Air quality right now
The air quality index in Bakersfield, CA is 69 (Moderate) right now — acceptable for most people.
Is it safe to be outside in Bakersfield today?
AQI 69 Yes — air quality is Moderate
Fine for most; unusually sensitive people can take it easy.Main pollutant: PM2.5Observed 6:00 AM PDT
Pollutants right now
- PM2.515 µg/m³Main pollutantfine particles — smoke, exhaust, soot
- PM1046 µg/m³coarse particles — dust, pollen, ash
- Ozone35 µg/m³smog — builds on hot, sunny days
- NO₂20 µg/m³nitrogen dioxide — traffic, combustion
ExerciseOK to run for most; sensitive athletes can ease the intensity.
How to read Bakersfield’s air quality
Guides: The AQI Scale, Explained · Air Quality Alerts, Decoded · How to Read a Wildfire Smoke Map · Why Wildfire Smoke Travels 1,000 Miles.
Air quality over time in Bakersfield
Across the EPA’s county records from 2020 to 2025, Bakersfield’s cleanest year was 2023 (median AQI 69) and its most polluted was 2021 (median AQI 84); the typical (median) day has trended cleaner since 2020.
| Year | Median AQI | Unhealthy+ | Main pollutant | USG | Moderate | Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 83 | 32 | Ozone | 98 | 180 | 56 |
| 2021 | 84 | 31 | PM2.5 | 97 | 202 | 35 |
| 2022 | 80 | 13 | Ozone | 109 | 196 | 47 |
| 2023 | 69 | 12 | Ozone | 58 | 210 | 85 |
| 2024 | 72 | 21 | Ozone | 73 | 196 | 76 |
| 2025 | 70 | 4 | Ozone | 61 | 236 | 64 |
“USG” is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (AQI 101–150); “Unhealthy+” combines the Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, and Hazardous days. In 2024 the EPA tightened the annual fine-particle (PM2.5) standard to 9 µg/m³ from the previous 12 µg/m³, so counties near the old limit read worse against the new one. Source: EPA AQS annual summaries, 2020–2025.
Frequently asked
- What was the worst year for air quality in Bakersfield?
- In the EPA's 2020–2025 county records, 2020 had the most days above AQI 100: 130 days (98 Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, 32 Unhealthy or worse). The highest median AQI came in 2021 (84; 2020's was 83).
- How many unhealthy air days does Bakersfield have?
- Across 2020–2025, 28% of the days reported for Bakersfield's county had an AQI above 100 (609 of 2192), about 102 days a year. 2025 had 65 days.
- What's the main air pollutant in Bakersfield?
- Ozone drove Bakersfield's county AQI on the most days in 5 of 6 years (2020–2025); PM2.5 in 2021.