EPA air quality + NOAA smoke
District of Columbia air quality by county
Bad-air days, typical county
6.4
per year, AQI over 100 (US: 2.4)
Smoke days, average county
22
per year, medium or heavy plume (US: 24)
Mold pros licensed?
Yes
DC Department of Energy and Environment
Wildfire smoke days by year
Days with a medium or heavy smoke plume overhead, averaged across District of Columbia's 1 counties. Smoke days come from NOAA satellite analysts, who draw where smoke plumes are overhead each day. A plume overhead does not always reach the ground, so these days measure exposure risk, not what you breathed. We count only medium and heavy plumes.
Every monitored District of Columbia county
Sorted by bad-air days. EPA monitors 1 of 1 counties; the rest have smoke data only.
| County | Good days | Bad days / yr | Main pollutant | Worst AQI | Smoke days / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 56.6% | 6.4 | fine particles (PM2.5) | 196 (2023) | 22 |
Most smoke days in District of Columbia: District of Columbia (22 days).
EPA's Air Quality Index runs from 0 to 500. Up to 50 is good and 51-100 is moderate. Above 100 the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups (children, older adults, and people with asthma or heart or lung disease), and above 150 it is unhealthy for everyone. We count a county's bad days as days above 100, averaged over 2021-2025.
Mold and indoor air in District of Columbia
In Washington DC, people who assess or remediate mold must hold a DOEE mold license and must notify DOEE about projects, so ask for the DOEE license; DOEE says to call (202) 535-2600 to confirm one. DC Department of Energy and Environment.
No agency measures indoor air city by city, so nobody can tell you your home's numbers except a monitor in your home. What research does show: Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors (EPA's National Human Activity Pattern Survey, 2001), EPA studies in the 1980s often found indoor levels of some chemical vapors two to five times outdoor levels, and during wildfire smoke the particles get inside unless windows stay shut and a filter runs.
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Radon + air quality monitor
Radon zone 1: one device answers radon and air quality.
One battery device that tracks radon alongside particles, CO2, humidity and VOCs. Worth it in a radon zone 1 or 2 county where you want both answers.
Airthings View Plus (radon + PM2.5, CO2, VOC)
Price at Airthings, checked Oct 5, 2026Sold directly by Airthings
Airthings Wave Plus (radon + CO2, VOC)
Price at Airthings, checked Oct 5, 2026Sold directly by Airthings
HEPA air purifier
For allergies, pets, or the occasional smoke day.
A true HEPA purifier sized to the room removes fine particles such as smoke, dust and pollen. Check the CADR rating and skip anything that makes ozone.
Levoit Core 300 (bedroom-size HEPA)
BudgetWinix 5520 (large-room HEPA)
Mid-rangeCO2 monitor
Stuffy bedroom or home office? CO2 tells you when to open a window.
CO2 is the best quick check on whether a room gets enough fresh air. Look for an NDIR sensor; cheap 'eCO2' sensors estimate it from VOCs instead of measuring it.
Aranet4 Home CO2 monitor (NDIR)
PremiumTemtop portable CO2 monitor
BudgetMold test kit
Musty smell or a past leak: a cheap first look before calling a pro.
A cheap first look. Settle-plate kits grow whatever spores are in the air, so they almost always show something; a visible patch or musty smell matters more than the plate.
Mold Armor DIY mold test kit
Budget12-test home mold test kit (air, HVAC, surfaces)
BudgetDistrict of Columbia cities: water, radon and air
Questions
How often is there wildfire smoke in District of Columbia?+
NOAA satellites placed a medium or heavy smoke plume over the average District of Columbia county on about 22 days a year from 2021-2025, below the typical US county. The worst year was 2023 (51 days on average). Smoke overhead does not always reach the ground.
Do mold inspectors need a license in District of Columbia?+
In Washington DC, people who assess or remediate mold must hold a DOEE mold license and must notify DOEE about projects, so ask for the DOEE license; DOEE says to call (202) 535-2600 to confirm one.
Is indoor air worse than outdoor air?+
No agency measures indoor air city by city, so nobody can tell you your home's numbers except a monitor in your home. What research does show: Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors (EPA's National Human Activity Pattern Survey, 2001), EPA studies in the 1980s often found indoor levels of some chemical vapors two to five times outdoor levels, and during wildfire smoke the particles get inside unless windows stay shut and a filter runs.
Sources: EPA AirData annual AQI by county, 2021-2025; NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke polygons, 2021-2025; DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). Methodology.