Foliage map › Destinations › Ohio › Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Cincinnati area peaks around October 29, with the best viewing from roughly October 28 to November 5.
- Typical peak
- October 29
- Best viewing
- Oct 28 – Nov 5
- Color starts
- Around Oct 17
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Nov 11
- Elevation
- 480 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 29. 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 Cincinnati on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Cincinnati
Cincinnati is built on hills above the Ohio River, and its parks sit on the high ground. Eden Park has overlooks above the river and the Kentucky hills beyond, and Ault Park has gardens and wooded trails on the east side. Mount Airy Forest, one of the largest city parks in the country, covers wooded hills on the west side. Across the river in Covington, Kentucky, Devou Park looks back over the river to the downtown skyline.
Scenic drive
US 52 follows the Ohio River east from Cincinnati through old river towns, with the river on one side and wooded hills on the other, part of the Ohio River Scenic Byway.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Nothing nearby turns earlier
None of the destinations we track within 150 miles of Cincinnati typically peaks much earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Nothing nearby turns later
None of the destinations we track within 150 miles of Cincinnati typically peaks much later.
Nearby destinations
- Lexington, KYTypical peak Oct 28, about the same time. 73 miles away.
- Louisville, KYTypical peak Oct 30, about the same time. 89 miles away.
- Nashville (Brown County), INTypical peak Oct 28, about the same time. 93 miles away.
- Indianapolis, INTypical peak Oct 27, 2 days earlier. 99 miles away.
- Red River Gorge, KYTypical peak Oct 28, about the same time. 99 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Cincinnati?
In a typical year, fall color in the Cincinnati area peaks around October 29, with the best viewing from roughly October 28 to November 5. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Cincinnati?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around October 17, and most leaves are down by about November 11.
Is Cincinnati early or late compared with the rest of Ohio?
Cincinnati peaks close to the middle of the Ohio season, about Oct 27 on average across the 4 Ohio destinations we track.
What trees color up around Cincinnati?
The main fall color in this area comes from sugar maple, tulip tree, shagbark hickory, and sassafras. 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.