Foliage map › Destinations › Minnesota › Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Minneapolis area peaks around October 4, with the best viewing from roughly October 2 to October 11.
- Typical peak
- October 4
- Best viewing
- Oct 2 – Oct 11
- Color starts
- Around Sep 22
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Oct 17
- Elevation
- 830 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 4. 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 Minneapolis on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Minneapolis
Minneapolis’s color is in its parks and along its lakes and river. Minnehaha Falls drops about 53 feet into a wooded glen, and the Mississippi River gorge, followed by West River Parkway, is lined with trees. The Grand Rounds Scenic Byway links the city’s lakes and parks, including Lake of the Isles and Theodore Wirth Park.
Scenic drive
The Great River Road follows the Mississippi south from the Twin Cities to Red Wing and Frontenac State Park, where the bluffs rise above Lake Pepin. To the east, the St. Croix River valley around Stillwater has bluffs and wooded hills.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Head farther north
Duluth, MN (137 miles away, farther north) typically peaks about 5 days earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Head farther south
Decorah, IA (137 miles away, farther south) typically peaks about 7 days later.
Nearby destinations
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Minneapolis?
In a typical year, fall color in the Minneapolis area peaks around October 4, with the best viewing from roughly October 2 to October 11. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Minneapolis?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 10 days. Color starts to show around September 22, and most leaves are down by about October 17.
Is Minneapolis early or late compared with the rest of Minnesota?
Minneapolis typically peaks about 7 days later than the Minnesota average of Sep 27. It ranks 4 of 4 Minnesota destinations from earliest to latest.
What trees color up around Minneapolis?
The main fall color in this area comes from sugar maple, northern red oak, bur oak, and silver maple. 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.