Rio Arriba, New Mexico 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, Rio Arriba, New Mexico's most recent EPA year (2023) posted a median AQI of 43 (Good) against a 5-year median of 43 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 Rio Arriba, New Mexico
AirHistory is built on 10 years of EPA Air Quality System records, so it shows you what air quality in Rio Arriba, New Mexico 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, Rio Arriba, New Mexico posted a median AQI of 43 (Good), with 318 "Good" days and 0 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.
Rio Arriba, New Mexico Air Quality Snapshot
| Air Quality Grade | B66/100 |
| 5-Year Median AQI | 43 (Good) |
| Most Recent Median AQI (2023) | 43 (Good) |
| Dominant Pollutant | Ground-Level Ozone |
| 10-Year Trend | Stable (-0.18 AQI/yr) |
| Unhealthy Days (last 5 yr) | 2 |
| National Rank (cleanest = #1) | #643 of 1,020 (63th most polluted percentile) |
| New Mexico Rank | #8 of 16 |
What Does the B Grade Mean?
Rio Arriba, New Mexico 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 43. Sensitive groups will see occasional caution days, but the typical resident will not need to change behavior based on air quality.
Rio Arriba, New Mexico's 5-year median AQI of 43 is right around the national average of 41 across the 1,020 monitored U.S. cities tracked here. Within New Mexico, Rio Arriba, New Mexico runs more polluted than the state average of 34 — local sources or geography are concentrating pollution above the state's typical reading.
For context within New Mexico: Luna, New Mexico currently holds the state's cleanest grade (A, AQI 17), while Bernalillo, New Mexico sits at the bottom (D, AQI 59).
What's in Rio Arriba, New Mexico's Air?
The dominant pollutant in Rio Arriba, New Mexico 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)
| Pollutant | Days as Dominant | Share of Year |
|---|---|---|
| Ground-Level Ozone | 336 | 97% |
| Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) | 10 | 3% |
Is the Air Getting Better or Worse?
Air quality in Rio Arriba, New Mexico has held roughly steady over the past decade, with year-to-year shifts in median AQI of less than half a point. That stability makes the city's long-run grade a reliable signal of what residents can expect day-to-day.
In 2014, Rio Arriba, New Mexico posted a median AQI of 44. By 2023 that figure was 43 — a drop of 1 AQI points cleaner across 10 years of EPA records.
Year-by-Year AQI in Rio Arriba, New Mexico
| Year | Median AQI | Good Days | Unhealthy Days | Dominant Pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 44 | 286 | 0 | Ozone |
| 2015 | 42 | 299 | 0 | Ozone |
| 2016 | 44 | 304 | 0 | Ozone |
| 2017 | 45 | 269 | 3 | Ozone |
| 2018 | 46 | 246 | 3 | Ozone |
| 2019 | 43 | 315 | 0 | Ozone |
| 2020 | 44 | 313 | 0 | Ozone |
| 2021 | 44 | 276 | 1 | Ozone |
| 2022 | 40 | 304 | 1 | Ozone |
| 2023 | 43 | 318 | 0 | Ozone |
Health Context for Rio Arriba, New Mexico
Across the past five years, this area has logged just 2 days where AQI rose into the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range or worse — about 0 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.
More about Rio Arriba, New Mexico
Rio Arriba, New Mexico has an Air Quality Grade of B (good) with a 5-year median AQI of 43. The dominant pollutant is Ground-Level Ozone, and air quality has been stable 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.
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.