Monte Carlo simulation techniques are used to study the electron transport properties in the high electric field region near the pin in negative pin‐plane corona discharges in atmospheric air. The results of the calculations show that the discharge electrons are nearly in equilibrium with the high local electric field near the pin tip. Consequently, a simpler computational model can be used to predict the voltage‐current characteristics of these discharges. The results also show that ionization growth is very rapid for the pin‐tip radii, gap lengths, and applied voltages which have been studied experimentally.