Most days the air around Durango rates good or moderate on the federal scale, and the bad days are rare. Smoke is the usual reason a day goes sour. A lot of locals check the number the way they check the weather, so here is where it comes from, what the past six years looked like and what the agencies say to do when it turns.
What is the air quality in Durango right now?
Look it up live. The Southwest Colorado Air Quality Project shows the current AQI for Durango on its project site, built from EPA AirNow data. The EPA's AirNow site is the national source, and the state posts a monitoring map with a warning that its AQI values are not validated. Readings can change within hours during smoke or blowing dust, so a number from this morning may not hold this afternoon.
The AQI runs from 0 to 500. The EPA groups it into six color bands, and it says values of 100 or below are generally thought of as satisfactory (EPA AirNow):
| AQI | Level | EPA description |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 50 | Good | Little or no risk |
| 51 to 100 | Moderate | Acceptable; some risk for unusually sensitive people |
| 101 to 150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | Sensitive groups may feel effects |
| 151 to 200 | Unhealthy | Some of the general public may feel effects |
| 201 to 300 | Very Unhealthy | Health alert for everyone |
| 301 and up | Hazardous | Emergency conditions |
How has Durango's air quality looked over the years?
The EPA publishes a yearly summary by county. It counts how many days fell into each band, using the monitors in La Plata County, so it describes the county and not one street in Durango. Here are the last six full years from the EPA AirData files:
| Year | Good days | Moderate days | Unhealthy for sensitive groups | Unhealthy | Very unhealthy | Highest AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 273 | 91 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 133 |
| 2021 | 239 | 121 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 140 |
| 2022 | 266 | 98 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 108 |
| 2023 | 237 | 123 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 211 |
| 2024 | 242 | 122 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 240 |
| 2025 | 222 | 141 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 112 |
Across those years, 1,479 of 2,191 reported days were good, and just 16 days went above an AQI of 100. The two worst readings came in 2023 and 2024, when the county hit an AQI of 211 and 240 on a single day. The file does not say what caused them, and we are not guessing. The median daily AQI was 45 to 48 every year. For 2025, the EPA table lists ozone as the main pollutant on 349 of 365 days and fine particles on 16.
What does the city say about local air?
The City of Durango says the town benefits from good air quality and that average pollutant levels sit well below the limits set to protect health. It names the exceptions: wildfire smoke, wood stove use, and vehicle traffic and idling (City of Durango). The city also keeps a vehicle idling ordinance and offers a sign-up for air quality advisories on the same page. Read the ordinance there before you leave the truck running in a parking lot.
What should you do on a smoky day?
The Southwest Colorado Air Quality Project lists these steps for poor air days:
- Limit time outdoors and keep windows closed
- Run an air purifier indoors
- Use the recirculation setting when you drive
- Wear an N95 mask during smoke or dust, which it says may reduce exposure
- Maintain wood stoves and never burn trash, since both affect local air
The state offers two tools. Colorado's health department runs an email alert system for air quality, and a Colorado Smoke Blog tracks wildfire, prescribed burns and smoke from other states (CDPHE). Its Action Day alerts, which trigger burn restrictions, apply to the Denver and northern Front Range area, so they say little about Durango.
Who watches the air closer to home?
Monitoring in the region was thin for years. The Southwest Colorado Air Quality Project says it will run five QuantAQ monitors for ozone and fine particles across Archuleta, La Plata and San Juan counties until at least 2028. It also lends portable PurpleAir sensors to residents, schools and neighborhood groups through a community checkout program.
For fire danger rather than air, see how fire restrictions work in La Plata County and our guide to wildfire preparedness in Durango. The altitude is a separate health topic, covered in altitude sickness in Durango. For hospitals and urgent care, see what hospital is in Durango. This page reports what the agencies publish and is not medical advice. Ask a doctor about asthma or heart conditions.