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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Philadelphia area peaks around October 31, with the best viewing from roughly October 29 to November 6.
- Typical peak
- October 31
- Best viewing
- Oct 29 – Nov 6
- Color starts
- Around Oct 19
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Nov 13
- Elevation
- 40 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 31. 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 Philadelphia on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Philadelphia
Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park system follows the Schuylkill River and Wissahickon Creek through the city. In Wissahickon Valley Park, Forbidden Drive follows the creek through a deep, wooded gorge. Along the Schuylkill, Kelly Drive passes Boathouse Row with the river on one side and wooded hills on the other. In Chestnut Hill, the Morris Arboretum has old trees from around the world.
Scenic drive
Kelly Drive and Lincoln Drive follow the Schuylkill and then Wissahickon Creek through the park. To the west, Valley Forge National Historical Park has rolling fields and woods, and farther southwest, Route 100 runs through the hills and horse country of the Brandywine Valley.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Head farther north
Delaware Water Gap, NJ (70 miles away, farther north) typically peaks about 6 days earlier, and Jim Thorpe, PA (70 miles away, farther north) typically peaks about 7 days earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Head farther south
Cape May, NJ (72 miles away, farther south) typically peaks about 6 days later, and Ocean City, MD (112 miles away, farther south) typically peaks about 7 days later.
Nearby destinations
- Delaware Water Gap, NJTypical peak Oct 24, 6 days earlier. 70 miles away.
- Jim Thorpe, PATypical peak Oct 24, 7 days earlier. 70 miles away.
- Cape May, NJTypical peak Nov 6, 6 days later. 72 miles away.
- New York City, NYTypical peak Oct 31, about the same time. 80 miles away.
- Baltimore, MDTypical peak Oct 31, about the same time. 90 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Philadelphia?
In a typical year, fall color in the Philadelphia area peaks around October 31, with the best viewing from roughly October 29 to November 6. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Philadelphia?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around October 19, and most leaves are down by about November 13.
Is Philadelphia early or late compared with the rest of Pennsylvania?
Philadelphia typically peaks about 7 days later than the Pennsylvania average of Oct 23. It ranks 6 of 6 Pennsylvania destinations from earliest to latest.
What trees color up around Philadelphia?
The main fall color in this area comes from red maple, tulip tree, northern red oak, and ginkgo. 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.