What Is the Air Quality in Lynchburg City, Virginia?

Lynchburg City, Virginia 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 31. Sensitive groups will see occasional caution days, but the typical resident will not need to change behavior based on air quality.

Lynchburg City, Virginia's 5-year median AQI of 31 is 10 points below the national average of 41 — meaningfully cleaner than the typical U.S. metro tracked here. Within Virginia, Lynchburg City, Virginia's air quality is roughly typical for the state, where the average city posts a 5-year median AQI of 33.

For context within Virginia: Alexandria City, Virginia currently holds the state's cleanest grade (A, AQI 6), while Richmond City, Virginia sits at the bottom (C, AQI 42).

Air quality in Lynchburg City, Virginia has been improving over the past decade, with median AQI dropping by roughly 1.0 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, Lynchburg City, Virginia posted a median AQI of 39. By 2023 that figure was 34 — a drop of 5 AQI points cleaner across 10 years of EPA records.

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 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.