Foliage map › Destinations › North Carolina › Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Charlotte area peaks around November 2, with the best viewing from roughly October 31 to November 8.
- Typical peak
- November 2
- Best viewing
- Oct 31 – Nov 8
- Color starts
- Around Oct 21
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Nov 15
- Elevation
- 750 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around November 2. 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 Charlotte on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Charlotte
Charlotte’s color comes in early November. Freedom Park has old trees around a lake near uptown, and the Little Sugar Creek Greenway follows the creek through the city. About 25 miles west, Crowders Mountain State Park has trails to rocky peaks, Crowders Mountain and Kings Pinnacle, with views over the Piedmont.
Scenic drive
US 321 heads northwest from the Charlotte area through Hickory and up the Blue Ridge to Blowing Rock, climbing from the Piedmont into the mountains, where the color comes weeks earlier.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Head higher
Blowing Rock, NC (78 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 14 days earlier, and Boone, NC (83 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 13 days earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Nothing nearby turns later
None of the destinations we track within 150 miles of Charlotte typically peaks much later.
Nearby destinations
- Blowing Rock, NCTypical peak Oct 19, 14 days earlier. 78 miles away.
- Boone, NCTypical peak Oct 20, 13 days earlier. 83 miles away.
- Mount Mitchell, NCTypical peak Oct 7, 26 days earlier. 88 miles away.
- Greenville, SCTypical peak Nov 1, about the same time. 91 miles away.
- Asheville, NCTypical peak Oct 26, 7 days earlier. 99 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Charlotte?
In a typical year, fall color in the Charlotte area peaks around November 2, with the best viewing from roughly October 31 to November 8. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Charlotte?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around October 21, and most leaves are down by about November 15.
Is Charlotte early or late compared with the rest of North Carolina?
Charlotte typically peaks about 10 days later than the North Carolina average of Oct 22. It ranks 6 of 7 North Carolina destinations from earliest to latest.
What trees color up around Charlotte?
The main fall color in this area comes from red maple, sweetgum, tulip tree, 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.