Data / Rankings / Median Air Quality Index (US EPA) / Counties in Virginia

Counties in Virginia by median Air Quality Index (US EPA)

Fairfax County had the highest median Air Quality Index (US EPA) of 42 counties in 1990, at 55. Newport News city had the lowest, at 11. The median was 38. Source: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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Highest55Fairfax County
Lowest11Newport News city
Median3842 counties

Map of counties, 1990

Amherst County: 47 indexArlington County: 45 indexAugusta County: 39 indexBuchanan County: 30 indexCampbell County: 19 indexCarroll County: 21 indexCharles City County: 47 indexChesterfield County: 41 indexFairfax County: 55 indexFauquier County: 45 indexGiles County: 47 indexHanover County: 46 indexHenrico County: 39 indexKing William County: 20 indexLoudoun County: 19 indexMadison County: 46 indexNorthampton County: 45 indexPrince Edward County: 41 indexPrince William County: 20 indexRoanoke County: 39 indexSmyth County: 24 indexWarren County: 40 indexWythe County: 48 indexYork County: 20 indexAlexandria city: 43 indexBristol city: 28 indexCharlottesville city: 24 indexChesapeake city: 24 indexCovington city: 29 indexFairfax city: 41 indexFredericksburg city: 19 indexHampton city: 40 indexHopewell city: 25 indexLynchburg city: 21 indexMartinsville city: 20 indexNewport News city: 11 indexNorfolk city: 34 indexPortsmouth city: 19 indexRichmond city: 40 indexRoanoke city: 36 indexSuffolk city: 50 indexWinchester city: 21 index
  • Under 20
  • 20 to 24
  • 24 to 38
  • 38 to 41
  • 41 to 46
  • 46 and over
  • No data
index, 1990. Hatched areas have no value for this period. Source: EPA, EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 1990

Fairfax County: 55 indexFairfax County55Suffolk city: 50 indexSuffolk city50Wythe County: 48 indexWythe County48Amherst County: 47 indexAmherst County47Charles City County: 47 indexCharles City County47Giles County: 47 indexGiles County47Hanover County: 46 indexHanover County46Madison County: 46 indexMadison County46Arlington County: 45 indexArlington County45Fauquier County: 45 indexFauquier County45Northampton County: 45 indexNorthampton County45Alexandria city: 43 indexAlexandria city43Chesterfield County: 41 indexChesterfield County41Fairfax city: 41 indexFairfax city41Prince Edward County: 41 indexPrince Edward County41Hampton city: 40 indexHampton city40Richmond city: 40 indexRichmond city40Warren County: 40 indexWarren County40Augusta County: 39 indexAugusta County39Henrico County: 39 indexHenrico County39Roanoke County: 39 indexRoanoke County39Roanoke city: 36 indexRoanoke city36Norfolk city: 34 indexNorfolk city34Buchanan County: 30 indexBuchanan County30Covington city: 29 indexCovington city29Bristol city: 28 indexBristol city28Hopewell city: 25 indexHopewell city25Charlottesville city: 24 indexCharlottesville city24Chesapeake city: 24 indexChesapeake city24Smyth County: 24 indexSmyth County24Carroll County: 21 indexCarroll County21Lynchburg city: 21 indexLynchburg city21Winchester city: 21 indexWinchester city21King William County: 20 indexKing William County20Martinsville city: 20 indexMartinsville city20Prince William County: 20 indexPrince William County20York County: 20 indexYork County20Campbell County: 19 indexCampbell County19Fredericksburg city: 19 indexFredericksburg city19Loudoun County: 19 indexLoudoun County19Portsmouth city: 19 indexPortsmouth city19Newport News city: 11 indexNewport News city11Fairfax County: 55 indexFairfax County55Suffolk city: 50 indexSuffolk city50Wythe County: 48 indexWythe County48Amherst County: 47 indexAmherst County47Charles City County: 47 indexCharles City County47Giles County: 47 indexGiles County47Hanover County: 46 indexHanover County46Madison County: 46 indexMadison County46Arlington County: 45 indexArlington County45Fauquier County: 45 indexFauquier County45Northampton County: 45 indexNorthampton County45Alexandria city: 43 indexAlexandria city43Chesterfield County: 41 indexChesterfield County41Fairfax city: 41 indexFairfax city41Prince Edward County: 41 indexPrince Edward County41Hampton city: 40 indexHampton city40Richmond city: 40 indexRichmond city40Warren County: 40 indexWarren County40Augusta County: 39 indexAugusta County39Henrico County: 39 indexHenrico County39Roanoke County: 39 indexRoanoke County39Roanoke city: 36 indexRoanoke city36Norfolk city: 34 indexNorfolk city34Buchanan County: 30 indexBuchanan County30Covington city: 29 indexCovington city29Bristol city: 28 indexBristol city28Hopewell city: 25 indexHopewell city25Charlottesville city: 24 indexCharlottesville city24Chesapeake city: 24 indexChesapeake city24Smyth County: 24 indexSmyth County24Carroll County: 21 indexCarroll County21Lynchburg city: 21 indexLynchburg city21Winchester city: 21 indexWinchester city21King William County: 20 indexKing William County20Martinsville city: 20 indexMartinsville city20Prince William County: 20 indexPrince William County20York County: 20 indexYork County20Campbell County: 19 indexCampbell County19Fredericksburg city: 19 indexFredericksburg city19Loudoun County: 19 indexLoudoun County19Portsmouth city: 19 indexPortsmouth city19Newport News city: 11 indexNewport News city11
index. Source: EPA, EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties1990
index		Change on 1989
1Fairfax County55+1
2Suffolk city50+12
3Wythe County48n/a
4Amherst County47n/a
4Charles City County47+7
4Giles County47n/a
7Hanover County46-3
7Madison County46+5
9Arlington County45+1
9Fauquier County45-2
9Northampton County45-2
12Alexandria city43-2
13Chesterfield County41-3
13Fairfax city41-2
13Prince Edward County41n/a
16Hampton city40+7
16Richmond city40-1
16Warren County40-1
19Augusta County39+3
19Henrico County39+6
19Roanoke County390
22Roanoke city36+2
23Norfolk city340
24Buchanan County30+1
25Covington city29-5
26Bristol city28+2
27Hopewell city25+1
28Charlottesville city24-3
28Chesapeake city240
28Smyth County24-21
31Carroll County21+1
31Lynchburg city21-6
31Winchester city21-4
34King William County20n/a
34Martinsville city20-5
34Prince William County20n/a
34York County20-1
38Campbell County19+1
38Fredericksburg city19+2
38Loudoun County19n/a
38Portsmouth city190
42Newport News city110

Other periods

About this ranking

Median of the daily Air Quality Index (AQI) values of a US county over the days of the year with an AQI, from the EPA AirData annual summaries.

More on how it is measured
  • The daily county AQI is the highest AQI among the monitors and pollutants reported that day (ozone, PM2.5, PM10, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide).
  • Lower is cleaner: 0 to 50 is good, 51 to 100 moderate and above 100 unhealthy for sensitive groups.

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.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. 18 counties with data in other periods have no value for 1990 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System, AirData. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median 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: median daily AQI (Counties in Virginia by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 1990) [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: median daily AQI, Counties in Virginia by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 1990. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 13 July 2026, https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/median-air-quality-index/virginia-counties?period=1990. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2026. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. Counties in Virginia by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 1990. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/median-air-quality-index/virginia-counties?period=1990.

Harvard

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2026) EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI, Counties in Virginia by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 1990 [Dataset]. Available at: https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/median-air-quality-index/virginia-counties?period=1990 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_virginia_by_1990,
  author = {{U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}},
  title = {{EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI: Counties in Virginia by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 1990}},
  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/rankings/median-air-quality-index/virginia-counties?period=1990. Publisher attribution: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System, AirData. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median 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: median daily AQI: Counties in Virginia by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 1990
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/rankings/median-air-quality-index/virginia-counties?period=1990
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/median-air-quality-index/virginia-counties?period=1990.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System, AirData. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Counties in Virginia by median Air Quality Index (US EPA) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"aqi_median","level":"province","within":"Virginia","limit":10}
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Questions

Which county has the highest median Air Quality Index (US EPA)?

Fairfax County, with 55 in 1990, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Which county has the lowest median Air Quality Index (US EPA)?

Newport News city, with 11 in 1990.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. Retrieved 2026-10-12. 18 counties have no value for 1990 and are not ranked.

Median Air Quality Index (US EPA): other rankings

Counties in Virginia: more rankings