When do the leaves change in Illinois?

Illinois typically peaks Oct 11 – Oct 19, centered on Oct 15. Northern Illinois peaks mid-October; Shawnee in the south, late October. These are typical dates from a latitude and elevation model; current conditions may differ.

Where are the best places to see fall color in Illinois?

The guide includes 3 researched locations in Illinois, including Lovers Leap Overlook, Garden of the Gods Observation Trail, Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. Lovers Leap Overlook turns first, around Oct 15, and Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge is last, around Oct 24. Each includes coordinates, elevation and sunrise light times.

What trees turn color in Illinois?

Mainly sugar maple, oak, hickory, cottonwood. Yellows and oranges come from carotenoids that are already in the leaf, so they show up every year. Reds are made fresh each autumn and need warm sunny days with cool, frost-free nights, which is why a dry summer or a warm September produces a duller year.

Illinois Fall Foliage 2026

Bare <20% Typical peak was 17 days ago

Typical peak window

Oct 11 – Oct 19

Centered on Oct 15 at reference elevation.

moderate confidence in typical timing.

Northern Illinois peaks mid-October; Shawnee in the south, late October.

Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated Nov 1, 2026.

Seasonal timing

Typically, northern Illinois peaks in mid-October, near the statewide peak of Oct. 15 (Oct. 11–19). The Shawnee Hills in southern Illinois typically peak in late October, while Starved Rock’s canyons are a mid-October option.

What turns here

sugar maple
oak
hickory
cottonwood

Yellows show up every year. Reds need sunny days and cool, frost-free nights. A bad year takes those first.

Color progression

Typical peak Oct 15

typical peak Nov 1, 2026

Illinois is typically at bare on Nov 1, 2026.

Illinois by county

15 days from Boone County to Pulaski County.

Tap a location marker for coordinates and light times. Where peak usually lands. Boundaries: US Census, 2023. Elevation: USGS 3DEP + SRTM. Method

Every county, as text

County	Typical peak	Stage on Nov 1, 2026	Median elev.	Spread
Adams County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	681 ft	1 days
Alexander County	Oct 22 – Oct 30	Past peak	367 ft	1 days
Bond County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Past peak	512 ft	0 days
Boone County	Oct 7 – Oct 15	Bare	852 ft	0 days
Brown County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	619 ft	0 days
Bureau County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Bare	665 ft	0 days
Calhoun County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	532 ft	1 days
Carroll County	Oct 8 – Oct 16	Bare	774 ft	1 days
Cass County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	541 ft	1 days
Champaign County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	685 ft	1 days
Christian County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	610 ft	0 days
Clark County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	588 ft	1 days
Clay County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Past peak	484 ft	1 days
Clinton County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Past peak	447 ft	0 days
Coles County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	669 ft	0 days
Cook County	Oct 9 – Oct 17	Bare	623 ft	0 days
Crawford County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Past peak	507 ft	1 days
Cumberland County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	598 ft	0 days
De Witt County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	712 ft	0 days
DeKalb County	Oct 9 – Oct 17	Bare	809 ft	1 days
Douglas County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	653 ft	0 days
DuPage County	Oct 9 – Oct 17	Bare	721 ft	0 days
Edgar County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	657 ft	0 days
Edwards County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Past peak	425 ft	1 days
Effingham County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	580 ft	0 days
Fayette County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	577 ft	1 days
Ford County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	748 ft	0 days
Franklin County	Oct 20 – Oct 28	Past peak	416 ft	1 days
Fulton County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	621 ft	0 days
Gallatin County	Oct 20 – Oct 28	Past peak	361 ft	0 days
Greene County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	580 ft	1 days
Grundy County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Bare	587 ft	0 days
Hamilton County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Past peak	466 ft	1 days
Hancock County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	646 ft	0 days
Hardin County	Oct 21 – Oct 29	Past peak	462 ft	1 days
Henderson County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	665 ft	1 days
Henry County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Bare	696 ft	1 days
Iroquois County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	673 ft	0 days
Jackson County	Oct 20 – Oct 28	Past peak	438 ft	0 days
Jasper County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Past peak	510 ft	0 days
Jefferson County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Past peak	489 ft	0 days
Jersey County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	602 ft	1 days
Jo Daviess County	Oct 7 – Oct 15	Bare	811 ft	0 days
Johnson County	Oct 20 – Oct 28	Past peak	515 ft	1 days
Kane County	Oct 9 – Oct 17	Bare	729 ft	1 days
Kankakee County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Bare	654 ft	0 days
Kendall County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Bare	648 ft	0 days
Knox County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Bare	682 ft	1 days
Lake County	Oct 8 – Oct 16	Bare	734 ft	1 days
LaSalle County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Bare	666 ft	1 days
Lawrence County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Past peak	443 ft	0 days
Lee County	Oct 9 – Oct 17	Bare	761 ft	1 days
Livingston County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Bare	688 ft	1 days
Logan County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	598 ft	0 days
Macon County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	675 ft	0 days
Macoupin County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	624 ft	0 days
Madison County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Past peak	515 ft	0 days
Marion County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Past peak	530 ft	0 days
Marshall County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Bare	672 ft	1 days
Mason County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	491 ft	1 days
Massac County	Oct 22 – Oct 30	Past peak	373 ft	1 days
McDonough County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	651 ft	0 days
McHenry County	Oct 7 – Oct 15	Bare	876 ft	0 days
McLean County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	761 ft	0 days
Menard County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	582 ft	0 days
Mercer County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Bare	700 ft	1 days
Monroe County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Past peak	510 ft	1 days
Montgomery County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	643 ft	0 days
Morgan County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	616 ft	1 days
Moultrie County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	657 ft	0 days
Ogle County	Oct 8 – Oct 16	Bare	784 ft	0 days
Peoria County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	658 ft	0 days
Perry County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Past peak	445 ft	1 days
Piatt County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	696 ft	1 days
Pike County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	586 ft	1 days
Pope County	Oct 21 – Oct 29	Past peak	486 ft	0 days
Pulaski County	Oct 22 – Oct 30	Past peak	360 ft	0 days
Putnam County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Bare	638 ft	0 days
Randolph County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Past peak	460 ft	1 days
Richland County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Past peak	483 ft	1 days
Rock Island County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Bare	599 ft	0 days
Saline County	Oct 20 – Oct 28	Past peak	383 ft	0 days
Sangamon County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	599 ft	1 days
Schuyler County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	607 ft	1 days
Scott County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	580 ft	0 days
Shelby County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	633 ft	0 days
St. Clair County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Past peak	427 ft	0 days
Stark County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Bare	707 ft	0 days
Stephenson County	Oct 7 – Oct 15	Bare	858 ft	0 days
Tazewell County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	600 ft	1 days
Union County	Oct 21 – Oct 29	Past peak	439 ft	1 days
Vermilion County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	673 ft	1 days
Wabash County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Past peak	432 ft	1 days
Warren County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Bare	773 ft	1 days
Washington County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Past peak	502 ft	1 days
Wayne County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Past peak	423 ft	1 days
White County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Past peak	402 ft	0 days
Whiteside County	Oct 9 – Oct 17	Bare	629 ft	1 days
Will County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Bare	671 ft	0 days
Williamson County	Oct 20 – Oct 28	Past peak	480 ft	0 days
Winnebago County	Oct 7 – Oct 15	Bare	805 ft	1 days
Woodford County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Bare	728 ft	1 days

Peak by elevation

1 day between the ridges and the valleys below them. The county map above averages that away.

Elevation band	Approx. elevation	Typical peak	Today
High ridges & passes	650 ft	Oct 14	Bare
Mid elevation	600 ft	Oct 15	Bare
Valleys & lowlands	450 ft	Oct 15	Bare

Foliage stages

No change 0–10%
First color 10–25%
Approaching peak 25–60%
Peak 60–90%
Past peak 40–70%, dropping
Bare <20%

Plan the light

Illinois on October 15, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.

Solar event times for Illinois on October 15, 2026
Event	Time
First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon	6:39 AM
Sunrise Rises E · 101°	7:07 AM
Morning golden hour ends 37 min of low, warm light	7:44 AM
Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light	12:41 PM
Evening golden hour starts 37 min before sunset	5:38 PM
Sunset Sets W · 259°	6:15 PM
Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon	6:43 PM

Times in America/Chicago · day length 11h 8m · computed from NOAA solar equations.

Local terrain can hide the sun; allow extra time to reach your viewpoint.

Which way to point the camera

Sun rises E, sets W.

Aim within 45° of the sun for translucent leaves. Turn your back to it for flat, accurate color.

Where to shoot in Illinois

3 researched locations, earliest peak first. Filter these locations

Recent reports from Illinois

Report what you saw

Common questions

When do the leaves change in Illinois?: Illinois typically peaks Oct 11 – Oct 19, centered on Oct 15. Northern Illinois peaks mid-October; Shawnee in the south, late October. These are typical dates from a latitude and elevation model; current conditions may differ.
Where are the best places to see fall color in Illinois?: The guide includes 3 researched locations in Illinois, including Lovers Leap Overlook, Garden of the Gods Observation Trail, Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. Lovers Leap Overlook turns first, around Oct 15, and Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge is last, around Oct 24. Each includes coordinates, elevation and sunrise light times.
What trees turn color in Illinois?: Mainly sugar maple, oak, hickory, cottonwood. Yellows and oranges come from carotenoids that are already in the leaf, so they show up every year. Reds are made fresh each autumn and need warm sunny days with cool, frost-free nights, which is why a dry summer or a warm September produces a duller year.