Ocracoke, North Carolina Air Quality
Ocracoke air quality today — the AQI, the main pollutant, and whether it’s safe to exercise outside right now
Ocracoke, NC · Air quality right now
The air quality index in Ocracoke, NC is 44 (Good) right now — safe for outdoor activity.
Is it safe to be outside in Ocracoke today?
AQI 44 Yes — air quality is Good
Air is clean — great for outdoor activity.Main pollutant: OzoneObserved 3:00 AM EDT
Pollutants right now
- PM2.53.5 µg/m³fine particles — smoke, exhaust, soot
- PM105.4 µg/m³coarse particles — dust, pollen, ash
- Ozone94 µg/m³Main pollutantsmog — builds on hot, sunny days
- NO₂0.5 µg/m³nitrogen dioxide — traffic, combustion
ExerciseOK to run — no air-quality limits on outdoor exercise.
How to read Ocracoke’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 Ocracoke
Across the EPA’s county records from 2020 to 2025, Ocracoke’s cleanest year was 2020 (median AQI 21) and its most polluted was 2023 (median AQI 26); the typical (median) day has trended more polluted since 2020.
| Year | Median AQI | Unhealthy+ | Main pollutant | USG | Moderate | Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 21 | 0 | PM2.5 | 0 | 6 | 108 |
| 2021 | 22 | 0 | PM2.5 | 0 | 5 | 102 |
| 2022 | 21 | 0 | PM2.5 | 0 | 3 | 112 |
| 2023 | 26 | 0 | PM2.5 | 0 | 13 | 103 |
| 2024 | 24 | 0 | PM2.5 | 0 | 5 | 89 |
| 2025 | 24 | 0 | PM2.5 | 0 | 3 | 94 |
“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 Ocracoke?
- No day in Ocracoke's county topped AQI 100 in the EPA's 2020–2025 records. The highest median AQI came in 2023, at 26.
- How many unhealthy air days does Ocracoke have?
- None: across 2020–2025, no day in Ocracoke's county had an AQI above 100 in the EPA's records (643 days reported).
- What's the main air pollutant in Ocracoke?
- PM2.5: it drove Ocracoke's county AQI on the most days in every year of the EPA's 2020–2025 records.