Bel Air, Maryland Air Quality
Bel Air air quality today — the AQI, the main pollutant, and whether it’s safe to exercise outside right now
Bel Air, MD · Air quality right now
The air quality index in Bel Air, MD is 35 (Good) right now — safe for outdoor activity.
Is it safe to be outside in Bel Air today?
AQI 35 Yes — air quality is Good
Air is clean — great for outdoor activity.Main pollutant: OzoneObserved 12:00 AM EDT
Pollutants right now
- PM2.55.1 µg/m³fine particles — smoke, exhaust, soot
- PM105.4 µg/m³coarse particles — dust, pollen, ash
- Ozone53 µg/m³Main pollutantsmog — builds on hot, sunny days
- NO₂12 µg/m³nitrogen dioxide — traffic, combustion
ExerciseOK to run — no air-quality limits on outdoor exercise.
How to read Bel Air’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 Bel Air
Across the EPA’s county records from 2020 to 2025, Bel Air’s cleanest year was 2020 (median AQI 41) and its most polluted was 2021 (median AQI 46); the typical (median) day has held roughly steady since 2020.
| Year | Median AQI | Unhealthy+ | Main pollutant | USG | Moderate | Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 41 | 0 | Ozone | 1 | 70 | 286 |
| 2021 | 46 | 0 | PM2.5 | 9 | 129 | 219 |
| 2022 | 43 | 0 | Ozone | 0 | 98 | 262 |
| 2023 | 45 | 3 | Ozone | 7 | 111 | 238 |
| 2024 | 42 | 1 | Ozone | 5 | 95 | 262 |
| 2025 | 42 | 0 | Ozone | 3 | 81 | 259 |
“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 Bel Air?
- In the EPA's 2020–2025 county records, 2023 had the most days above AQI 100: 10 days (7 Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, 3 Unhealthy or worse). The highest median AQI came in 2021 (46; 2023's was 45).
- How many unhealthy air days does Bel Air have?
- Across 2020–2025, 1% of the days reported for Bel Air's county had an AQI above 100 (29 of 2139), about 5 days a year. 2025 had 3 days.
- What's the main air pollutant in Bel Air?
- Ozone drove Bel Air's county AQI on the most days in 5 of 6 years (2020–2025); PM2.5 in 2021.