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Washington, D.C. fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Washington area peaks around October 31, with the best viewing from roughly October 30 to November 7.
- Typical peak
- October 31
- Best viewing
- Oct 30 – Nov 7
- Color starts
- Around Oct 19
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Nov 13
- Elevation
- 50 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 Washington on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Washington
Washington’s color comes late, in its parks and along the Potomac. Rock Creek Park runs through the city in a wooded stream valley more than twice the size of New York’s Central Park. The U.S. National Arboretum, in Northeast, covers about 446 acres of trees and gardens. On the Potomac, Theodore Roosevelt Island is a wooded nature preserve, and the C&O Canal towpath leads upriver past cliffs to Great Falls.
Scenic drive
The George Washington Memorial Parkway follows the Virginia side of the Potomac upriver from the city along the wooded palisades, with overlooks above the river. To the west, Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, near Skyland, is about 70 miles away.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Head higher
Skyland (Shenandoah NP), VA (76 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 16 days earlier, and Deep Creek Lake, MD (129 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 12 days earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Try these nearby
Ocean City, MD (113 miles away) typically peaks about 7 days later, and Cape May, NJ (115 miles away) typically peaks about 6 days later.
Nearby destinations
- Baltimore, MDTypical peak Oct 31, about the same time. 35 miles away.
- Skyland (Shenandoah NP), VATypical peak Oct 15, 16 days earlier. 76 miles away.
- Richmond, VATypical peak Nov 2, about the same time. 97 miles away.
- Charlottesville, VATypical peak Oct 30, about the same time. 99 miles away.
- Ocean City, MDTypical peak Nov 7, 7 days later. 113 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Washington?
In a typical year, fall color in the Washington area peaks around October 31, with the best viewing from roughly October 30 to November 7. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Washington?
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.
What trees color up around Washington?
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.