Foliage map › Destinations › Ohio › Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Cleveland area peaks around October 24, with the best viewing from roughly October 23 to October 31.
- Typical peak
- October 24
- Best viewing
- Oct 23 – Oct 31
- Color starts
- Around Oct 12
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Nov 6
- Elevation
- 650 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 24. 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 Cleveland on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Cleveland
Cleveland’s color is in its Emerald Necklace, the ring of Cleveland Metroparks reservations that follows the river valleys around the city. On the west side, Rocky River Reservation runs along a wooded valley beneath shale cliffs. Just south of the city, Cuyahoga Valley National Park follows the Cuyahoga River toward Akron, where Brandywine Falls drops about 65 feet and the Ledges Trail circles sandstone cliffs to an overlook across the valley.
Scenic drive
Riverview Road follows the Cuyahoga River south through the national park, past wooded hillsides, open fields, and the village of Peninsula. The Towpath Trail follows the old Ohio & Erie Canal along the river for those who’d rather walk or bike.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Head farther north
Detroit, MI (90 miles away, farther north) typically peaks about 7 days earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Nothing nearby turns later
None of the destinations we track within 150 miles of Cleveland typically peaks much later.
National park and forest guide
Nearby destinations
- Detroit, MITypical peak Oct 17, 7 days earlier. 90 miles away.
- Pittsburgh, PATypical peak Oct 24, about the same time. 115 miles away.
- Columbus, OHTypical peak Oct 27, 2 days later. 126 miles away.
- Hocking Hills, OHTypical peak Oct 27, 2 days later. 149 miles away.
- Ohiopyle, PATypical peak Oct 25, about the same time. 161 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Cleveland?
In a typical year, fall color in the Cleveland area peaks around October 24, with the best viewing from roughly October 23 to October 31. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Cleveland?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around October 12, and most leaves are down by about November 6.
Is Cleveland early or late compared with the rest of Ohio?
Cleveland 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 Cleveland?
The main fall color in this area comes from sugar maple, red maple, northern red oak, and American beech. 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.