Highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA) in Santa Cruz County

Highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA) in Santa Cruz County was 187 in 2025, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That is down 307 from 2024. That is the 9th highest of 13 counties in 2025.

2025, index187

Change on 2024-307

Rank9th of 13Counties in Arizona ranked

Series high4942024

Series low781985

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 Santa Cruz County, 1985 to 2025

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

All 41 values

Period	index
2025	187
2024	494
2023	145
2022	138
2021	171
2020	170
2019	120
2018	194
2017	198
2016	209
2015	135
2014	223
2013	159
2012	107
2011	104
2010	119
2009	195
2008	140
2007	140
2006	184
2005	199
2004	93
2003	115
2002	117
2001	130
2000	106
1999	135
1998	108
1997	86
1996	80
1995	85
1994	81
1993	83
1992	100
1991	105
1990	111
1989	145
1988	101
1987	139
1986	128
1985	78

Santa Cruz County compared with nearby places

Under 110
110 to 190
190 to 270
270 to 350
350 and over
No data

Highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2025, index. Santa Cruz 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 Arizona by highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA) 15 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), Santa Cruz County, 1985 to 2025) [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), Santa Cruz County, 1985 to 2025. 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/santa-cruz-county-arizona. 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), Santa Cruz County, 1985 to 2025. 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/santa-cruz-county-arizona.

Harvard

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2026) EPA AirData annual AQI by county: highest daily AQI, Highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA), Santa Cruz County, 1985 to 2025 [Dataset]. Available at: https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/en/highest-daily-air-quality-index/santa-cruz-county-arizona (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{environmental_highest_daily_air_quality_2025,
  author = {{U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}},
  title = {{EPA AirData annual AQI by county: highest daily AQI: Highest daily Air Quality Index (US EPA), Santa Cruz County, 1985 to 2025}},
  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/santa-cruz-county-arizona. 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), Santa Cruz County, 1985 to 2025
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/santa-cruz-county-arizona
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/highest-daily-air-quality-index/santa-cruz-county-arizona.
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 Santa Cruz County?

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 Santa Cruz County?

494 in 2024, the highest value since 1985 in this series.

Related statistics for Santa Cruz County

All statistics for Santa Cruz County | Santa Cruz County in figures