Codington, South Dakota 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, Codington, South Dakota's most recent EPA year (2023) posted a median AQI of 45 (Good) against a 5-year median of 40 and an overall Grade of D. The dominant pollutant is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5), which tells you which days are most likely to spike.
Check Today's Live AQI in Codington, South Dakota
AirHistory is built on 10 years of EPA Air Quality System records, so it shows you what air quality in Codington, South Dakota 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, Codington, South Dakota posted a median AQI of 45 (Good), with 215 "Good" days and 13 days that crossed into "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" or worse. The dominant pollutant, Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5), is the one most likely to push today's number up — Fine particulate matter — particles less than 2.5 micrometers across — comes mostly from combustion: vehicle exhaust, wildfire smoke, residential wood burning, and industrial emissions. Because these particles are small enough to enter the bloodstream, PM2.5 is the pollutant most strongly linked to cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness, and premature death.
Codington, South Dakota Air Quality Snapshot
| Air Quality Grade | D49/100 |
| 5-Year Median AQI | 40 (Good) |
| Most Recent Median AQI (2023) | 45 (Good) |
| Dominant Pollutant | Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) |
| 10-Year Trend | Worsening (+1.89 AQI/yr) |
| Unhealthy Days (last 5 yr) | 21 |
| National Rank (cleanest = #1) | #469 of 1,020 (46th cleanest percentile) |
| South Dakota Rank | #8 of 10 |
What Does the D Grade Mean?
Codington, South Dakota earns a D — air quality falls below the U.S. average, with a 5-year median AQI of 40. Residents with asthma, COPD, heart disease, or young children should watch daily AQI forecasts and limit outdoor exertion when alerts go out.
Codington, South Dakota's 5-year median AQI of 40 is right around the national average of 41 across the 1,020 monitored U.S. cities tracked here. Within South Dakota, Codington, South Dakota runs more polluted than the state average of 36 — local sources or geography are concentrating pollution above the state's typical reading.
For context within South Dakota: Hughes, South Dakota currently holds the state's cleanest grade (A, AQI 13), while Brookings, South Dakota sits at the bottom (C, AQI 40).
What's in Codington, South Dakota's Air?
The dominant pollutant in Codington, South Dakota is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5). Fine particulate matter — particles less than 2.5 micrometers across — comes mostly from combustion: vehicle exhaust, wildfire smoke, residential wood burning, and industrial emissions. Because these particles are small enough to enter the bloodstream, PM2.5 is the pollutant most strongly linked to cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness, and premature death.
Days by Dominant Pollutant (2023)
| Pollutant | Days as Dominant | Share of Year |
|---|---|---|
| Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) | 209 | 58% |
| Ground-Level Ozone | 135 | 37% |
| Coarse Particulate Matter (PM10) | 19 | 5% |
Is the Air Getting Better or Worse?
Air quality in Codington, South Dakota has been getting worse over the past decade, with median AQI climbing by roughly 1.9 points per year. That bucks the national trend of broad improvement, and most often reflects either growing wildfire smoke exposure (particularly across the West) or rising local emissions from population and freight growth.
In 2014, Codington, South Dakota posted a median AQI of 23. By 2023 that figure was 45 — a rise of 22 AQI points dirtier across 10 years of EPA records.
Year-by-Year AQI in Codington, South Dakota
| Year | Median AQI | Good Days | Unhealthy Days | Dominant Pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 23 | 327 | 0 | PM2.5 |
| 2015 | 34 | 276 | 1 | PM2.5 |
| 2016 | 28 | 295 | 0 | PM2.5 |
| 2017 | 39 | 276 | 0 | PM2.5 |
| 2018 | 39 | 260 | 1 | PM2.5 |
| 2019 | 32 | 295 | 0 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 38 | 293 | 1 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 43 | 246 | 6 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 41 | 285 | 1 | Ozone |
| 2023 | 45 | 215 | 13 | PM2.5 |
Health Context for Codington, South Dakota
Across the past five years, this area has logged just 21 days where AQI rose into the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range or worse — about 4 days per year, or roughly one every other month. That is a low count by national standards.
Treat daily AQI forecasts as essential input. On flagged days, sensitive groups (asthma, COPD, heart disease, pregnancy, young children, older adults) should limit outdoor exertion and keep windows closed. A HEPA air cleaner sized to a bedroom or family room can cut indoor PM2.5 by 80%+ during smoke or pollution events. Because PM2.5 penetrates deep into the lungs and bloodstream, an N95 or KN95 mask provides meaningful protection on smoky or high-particulate days — surgical masks do not.
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.
More about Codington, South Dakota
Codington, South Dakota has an Air Quality Grade of D (poor) with a 5-year median AQI of 40. The dominant pollutant is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5), and air quality has been worsening over the past decade.
The data source behind this answer is the EPA Air Quality System (AQS). Every figure on the page traces back to that source; the methodology page describes the inputs and the refresh cadence in full detail.
A practical caveat: the headline answer above reflects the most recent the EPA Air Quality System (AQS) vintage; underlying data is often revised for months after first publication, and the right reference for any specific decision is whichever vintage is current at the time of the decision. The as-of date is stamped on every page.
Source: EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data, 2026.