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AirHistory

Atlantic, New Jersey Air Quality Today

AirHistory tracks long-run EPA monitoring rather than live readings, so for the live number check AirNow.gov below. As a baseline, Atlantic, New Jersey's most recent EPA year (2023) posted a median AQI of 38 (Good) against a 5-year median of 38 and an overall Grade of B. The dominant pollutant is Ground-Level Ozone, which tells you which days are most likely to spike.

Check Today's Live AQI in Atlantic, New Jersey

AirHistory is built on 10 years of EPA Air Quality System records, so it shows you what air quality in Atlantic, New Jersey typically looks like — not the live reading for this exact hour. For today's real-time AQI, check AirNow.gov (the EPA's official live index) or the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map during wildfire season.

That said, the history is the best predictor of a normal day. In 2023, Atlantic, New Jersey posted a median AQI of 38 (Good), with 270 "Good" days and 5 days that crossed into "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" or worse. The dominant pollutant, Ground-Level Ozone, is the one most likely to push today's number up — Ground-level ozone forms when sunlight reacts with vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions. It is worst on hot, sunny, stagnant summer days. Ozone irritates the lungs, triggers asthma attacks, and reduces lung function — even healthy adults can feel chest tightness and shortness of breath after exercising in elevated ozone.

Atlantic, New Jersey Air Quality Snapshot

Air Quality GradeB69/100
5-Year Median AQI38 (Good)
Most Recent Median AQI (2023)38 (Good)
Dominant PollutantGround-Level Ozone
10-Year TrendImproving (-0.33 AQI/yr)
Unhealthy Days (last 5 yr)7
National Rank (cleanest = #1)#369 of 1,020 (36th cleanest percentile)
New Jersey Rank#3 of 16

What Does the B Grade Mean?

Atlantic, New Jersey earns a B — air quality is reliably in the safe range for most residents most of the time, with a 5-year median AQI of 38. Sensitive groups will see occasional caution days, but the typical resident will not need to change behavior based on air quality.

Atlantic, New Jersey's 5-year median AQI of 38 is 3 points below the national average of 41 — meaningfully cleaner than the typical U.S. metro tracked here. Within New Jersey, Atlantic, New Jersey runs cleaner than the state average of 42 — a positive signal that local conditions (terrain, wind patterns, emission sources) are working in residents' favor.

For context within New Jersey: Hudson, New Jersey currently holds the state's cleanest grade (B, AQI 44), while Essex, New Jersey sits at the bottom (C, AQI 45).

What's in Atlantic, New Jersey's Air?

The dominant pollutant in Atlantic, New Jersey is Ground-Level Ozone. Ground-level ozone forms when sunlight reacts with vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions. It is worst on hot, sunny, stagnant summer days. Ozone irritates the lungs, triggers asthma attacks, and reduces lung function — even healthy adults can feel chest tightness and shortness of breath after exercising in elevated ozone.

Days by Dominant Pollutant (2023)

PollutantDays as DominantShare of Year
Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5)22361%
Ground-Level Ozone14239%

Is the Air Getting Better or Worse?

Air quality in Atlantic, New Jersey has been improving over the past decade, with median AQI dropping by roughly 0.3 points per year. That is consistent with the broader national pattern — most U.S. metros have seen steady reductions in particulate and ozone pollution since the 2010s as cleaner vehicles and power plants come online.

In 2014, Atlantic, New Jersey posted a median AQI of 39. By 2023 that figure was 38 — a drop of 1 AQI points cleaner across 10 years of EPA records.

Year-by-Year AQI in Atlantic, New Jersey

YearMedian AQIGood DaysUnhealthy DaysDominant Pollutant
2014393111Ozone
2015383012Ozone
2016412701Ozone
2017412680Ozone
2018412771Ozone
2019422701PM2.5
2020372860PM2.5
2021372900Ozone
2022363161Ozone
2023382705PM2.5

Health Context for Atlantic, New Jersey

Across the past five years, this area has logged just 7 days where AQI rose into the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range or worse — about 1 days per year, or roughly one every other month. That is a low count by national standards.

For most healthy adults, current air quality in this area does not require any change in behavior. People with severe asthma, COPD, or recent cardiac events should still keep an eye on daily AQI alerts, especially during wildfire season. Because ozone peaks in the afternoon on hot sunny days, plan outdoor exercise for early morning or after sunset on bad-air days.

How This Grade Is Calculated

The AirHistory Air Quality Grade combines four signals: the 5-year median AQI (40% of the score), the 10-year trend direction (30%), the count of unhealthy days per year (20%), and the dominant pollutant type (10%). All four come directly from the EPA Air Quality System (AQS), which aggregates readings from federally certified monitors. Read the full methodology.

View full Atlantic, New Jersey profile →All New Jersey cities →Air quality checker →Methodology →

More about Atlantic, New Jersey

Atlantic, New Jersey has an Air Quality Grade of B (good) with a 5-year median AQI of 38. The dominant pollutant is Ground-Level Ozone, and air quality has been improving over the past decade.

This answer pulls from the EPA Air Quality System (AQS), the authoritative federal source for U.S. air quality and pollution monitoring. The headline number above is the direct answer; what follows is the additional context most readers need to use the answer for a real decision rather than just a fact lookup.

For readers turning this answer into action: cross-reference against the underlying the EPA Air Quality System (AQS) record before acting on time-sensitive decisions. The site renders the data as it was published; subsequent revisions can shift the picture, and the live federal data is always the authoritative current reference.

Source: EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data, 2026.