Foliage map › Destinations › New Hampshire › Portsmouth
Portsmouth, New Hampshire fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Portsmouth area peaks around October 21, with the best viewing from roughly October 19 to October 28.
- Typical peak
- October 21
- Best viewing
- Oct 19 – Oct 28
- Color starts
- Around Oct 9
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Nov 3
- Elevation
- 20 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 21. Turn on JavaScript to see today’s estimated status and the five-week outlook.
The season at a glance
Bar height shows how good the viewing typically is on each day, from September 1 through November 30. Colors show the stage, from green through peak red to bare.
Open Portsmouth on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Portsmouth
Portsmouth is a historic seaport on the Piscataqua River, and its color comes late, often after the rest of New Hampshire has passed peak. Prescott Park follows the riverfront with gardens and lawns looking across to Maine, and the old houses and lanes of the Strawbery Banke neighborhood sit just behind it. Just south in Rye, Odiorne Point State Park protects a long stretch of undeveloped shoreline, with woods and salt marsh behind the rocky coast.
Scenic drive
Route 1B loops east from Portsmouth onto the island of New Castle, past old houses, Fort Constitution, and Great Island Common at the harbor mouth. Route 1A then follows New Hampshire’s short coastline south through Rye, past Odiorne Point and long stretches of rocky shore, with salt marshes and woods inland.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Head higher or farther north
North Conway, NH (70 miles away, farther north) typically peaks about 11 days earlier, and Jackson, NH (77 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 13 days earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Head farther south
Hyannis (Cape Cod), MA (101 miles away, farther south) typically peaks about 8 days later, and Newport, RI (113 miles away, farther south) typically peaks about 8 days later.
Nearby destinations
- Portland, METypical peak Oct 19, 2 days earlier. 48 miles away.
- Boston, MATypical peak Oct 24, 3 days later. 51 miles away.
- Milton, MATypical peak Oct 24, 3 days later. 59 miles away.
- Wellesley, MATypical peak Oct 22, about the same time. 60 miles away.
- Natick, MATypical peak Oct 22, about the same time. 62 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Portsmouth?
In a typical year, fall color in the Portsmouth area peaks around October 21, with the best viewing from roughly October 19 to October 28. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Portsmouth?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 10 days. Color starts to show around October 9, and most leaves are down by about November 3.
Is Portsmouth early or late compared with the rest of New Hampshire?
Portsmouth typically peaks about 10 days later than the New Hampshire average of Oct 11. It ranks 7 of 7 New Hampshire destinations from earliest to latest.
What trees color up around Portsmouth?
The main fall color in this area comes from red maple, northern red oak, sugar maple, and shagbark hickory. See the leaf guide to identify them.
Estimates come from the Leaves.com model of typical years, based on latitude, elevation, and distance from large bodies of water. They are not live observations. How it works.