Foliage map › Destinations › Pennsylvania › Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Pittsburgh area peaks around October 24, with the best viewing from roughly October 22 to October 30.
- Typical peak
- October 24
- Best viewing
- Oct 22 – Oct 30
- Color starts
- Around Oct 12
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Nov 6
- Elevation
- 1,000 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 Pittsburgh on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh sits where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio, and its steep, wooded hillsides turn color right in the middle of the city. The overlooks along Grandview Avenue on Mount Washington look straight down on the Point, the rivers, and the downtown skyline framed by the hills. In the East End, Frick Park and Schenley Park have miles of trails through wooded ravines.
Scenic drive
US 30, the old Lincoln Highway, heads east from the city into the Laurel Highlands and climbs over Laurel Ridge near Ligonier, a town with a classic central square. From Ligonier, the Laurel Highlands Scenic Byway runs south through the mountains toward Ohiopyle.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Head higher
Davis (Blackwater Falls), WV (95 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 6 days earlier, and Snowshoe, WV (140 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 13 days earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Look for lower valleys
None of the destinations we track within 150 miles of Pittsburgh typically peaks much later. Lower valleys nearby are your best bet: color tends to hang on about 4 to 5 days longer for every 1,000 feet lower.
Nearby destinations
- Ohiopyle, PATypical peak Oct 25, about the same time. 48 miles away.
- Deep Creek Lake, MDTypical peak Oct 20, 4 days earlier. 74 miles away.
- Davis (Blackwater Falls), WVTypical peak Oct 17, 6 days earlier. 95 miles away.
- State College, PATypical peak Oct 21, 2 days earlier. 115 miles away.
- Cleveland, OHTypical peak Oct 24, about the same time. 115 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Pittsburgh?
In a typical year, fall color in the Pittsburgh area peaks around October 24, with the best viewing from roughly October 22 to October 30. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Pittsburgh?
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 Pittsburgh early or late compared with the rest of Pennsylvania?
Pittsburgh peaks close to the middle of the Pennsylvania season, about Oct 23 on average across the 6 Pennsylvania destinations we track.
What trees color up around Pittsburgh?
The main fall color in this area comes from sugar maple, red maple, 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.