Highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA) in McDowell County

Highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA) in McDowell County was 89 in 2015, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That is down 17 from 2014.

2015, index89

Change on 2014-17

Series high1712000

Series low341990

Next release: Tuesday, 13 July 2027, estimated by Invokely from past publication dates (low confidence), not announced by the publisher. Release calendar

Highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA) in McDowell County, 1990 to 2015

index. Source: EPA, EPA AirData annual AQI by county: highest daily AQI. Retrieved 2026-10-12, published 2026-07-13.

All 26 values

Period	index
2015	89
2014	106
2013	72
2012	76
2011	85
2010	80
2009	81
2008	153
2007	139
2006	109
2005	110
2004	103
2003	111
2002	108
2001	114
2000	171
1999	97
1998	50
1997	54
1996	54
1995	51
1994	50
1993	62
1992	45
1991	73
1990	34

McDowell County compared with nearby places

Under 71
71 to 81
81 to 87
87 to 93
93 to 100
100 and over
No data

Highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2015, index. McDowell County is outlined. Same source and period for every area shown. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Rankings

Counties in North Carolina by highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA) 62 places

Definition

Highest daily Air Quality Index (AQI) value recorded in a US county during the year, from the EPA AirData annual summaries. Values above 500 are beyond the AQI scale and are published as EPA computes them.

A single day decides the value, so one wildfire or dust event can set it. Dust from the dry Owens Lake bed puts Inyo and Mono counties in California in the thousands. United States counties with air quality monitors only, about 1,000 of some 3,100 in recent years; a county without monitors has no value. The number of days with an AQI differs between counties because some monitors run only in the ozone season.

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How to cite

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System, AirData. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: highest daily AQI. https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2026). EPA AirData annual AQI by county: highest daily AQI (Highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA), McDowell County, 1990 to 2015) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual

MLA 9

EPA AirData annual AQI by county: highest daily AQI, Highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA), McDowell County, 1990 to 2015. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 13 July 2026, https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/highest-daily-air-quality-index/mcdowell-county-north-carolina. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2026. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: highest daily AQI. Highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA), McDowell County, 1990 to 2015. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/highest-daily-air-quality-index/mcdowell-county-north-carolina.

Harvard

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2026) EPA AirData annual AQI by county: highest daily AQI, Highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA), McDowell County, 1990 to 2015 [Dataset]. Available at: https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/en/highest-daily-air-quality-index/mcdowell-county-north-carolina (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{environmental_highest_daily_air_quality_2015,
  author = {{U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}},
  title = {{EPA AirData annual AQI by county: highest daily AQI: Highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA), McDowell County, 1990 to 2015}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/highest-daily-air-quality-index/mcdowell-county-north-carolina. Publisher attribution: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System, AirData. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: highest daily AQI. https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download\_files.html\#Annual. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}

RIS

TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
TI  - EPA AirData annual AQI by county: highest daily AQI: Highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA), McDowell County, 1990 to 2015
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/13
PB  - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual
L2  - https://invokely.ai/en/highest-daily-air-quality-index/mcdowell-county-north-carolina
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/highest-daily-air-quality-index/mcdowell-county-north-carolina.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System, AirData. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: highest daily AQI. https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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Questions

What is the highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA) in McDowell County?

Highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA) in McDowell County was 89 in 2015, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That is down 17 from 2014.

Where does this figure come from?

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: highest daily AQI. Retrieved by Invokely on 2026-10-12.

What was the highest highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA) in McDowell County?

171 in 2000, the highest value since 1990 in this series.

Related statistics for McDowell County

All statistics for McDowell County | McDowell County in figures