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Fall Photo Guide

Illinois Fall Foliage 2026

No change 0–10% Typical peak in 28 days

In a typical 2026 season, the statewide peak is around October 15, with the main window from October 11 to October 19. High ground near 650 feet typically peaks around October 14, valleys near 450 feet around October 15, while Northern Illinois peaks mid-October and the Shawnee Hills in southern Illinois reach peak later in October.

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

When Illinois peaks

Oct 11 – Oct 19

Centered on Oct 15. Northern Illinois peaks mid-October; Shawnee in the south, late October.

low confidence. Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.

Where peak usually lands. Drought or an early freeze moves it by a few days. Method

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 color progression for Illinois. No change from Sep 7 to Sep 24. First color from Sep 24 to Oct 3. Approaching peak from Oct 3 to Oct 11. Peak from Oct 11 to Oct 19. Past peak from Oct 19 to Oct 29. Bare from Oct 29 to Nov 12.

typical peak today

Illinois is typically at no change on this date.

Illinois by county

15 days from Boone County to Pulaski County.

Typical fall foliage stage by county in Illinois on September 17 Each county is shaded by its typical foliage stage. Peak runs from Oct 11 in Boone County to Oct 26 in Pulaski County. Every county, its stage and its typical peak date are listed as text below the map. Adams County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Alexander County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 26 Bond County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Boone County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 11 Brown County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Bureau County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Calhoun County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Carroll County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 12 Cass County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Champaign County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Christian County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Clark County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Clay County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Clinton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Coles County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Cook County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 13 Crawford County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Cumberland County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 De Witt County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 DeKalb County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 13 Douglas County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 DuPage County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 13 Edgar County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Edwards County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Effingham County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Fayette County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Ford County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Franklin County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Fulton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Gallatin County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Greene County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Grundy County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Hamilton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Hancock County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Hardin County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 25 Henderson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Henry County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Iroquois County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Jackson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Jasper County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Jefferson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Jersey County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Jo Daviess County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 11 Johnson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Kane County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 13 Kankakee County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Kendall County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Knox County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Lake County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 12 LaSalle County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Lawrence County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Lee County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 13 Livingston County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Logan County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Macon County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Macoupin County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Madison County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Marion County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Marshall County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Mason County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Massac County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 26 McDonough County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 McHenry County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 11 McLean County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Menard County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Mercer County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Monroe County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Montgomery County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Morgan County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Moultrie County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Ogle County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 12 Peoria County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Perry County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Piatt County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Pike County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Pope County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 25 Pulaski County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 26 Putnam County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Randolph County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Richland County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Rock Island County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Saline County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Sangamon County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Schuyler County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Scott County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Shelby County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 St. Clair County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Stark County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Stephenson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 11 Tazewell County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Union County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 25 Vermilion County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Wabash County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Warren County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Washington County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Wayne County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 White County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Whiteside County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 13 Will County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Williamson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Winnebago County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 11 Woodford County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Lovers Leap Overlook Garden of the Gods Observation Trail Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge

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 today Median elev. Spread
Adams County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 681 ft 1 days
Alexander County Oct 22 – Oct 30 No change 367 ft 1 days
Bond County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 512 ft 0 days
Boone County Oct 7 – Oct 15 No change 852 ft 0 days
Brown County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 619 ft 0 days
Bureau County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 665 ft 0 days
Calhoun County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 532 ft 1 days
Carroll County Oct 8 – Oct 16 No change 774 ft 1 days
Cass County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 541 ft 1 days
Champaign County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 685 ft 1 days
Christian County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 610 ft 0 days
Clark County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 588 ft 1 days
Clay County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 484 ft 1 days
Clinton County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 447 ft 0 days
Coles County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 669 ft 0 days
Cook County Oct 9 – Oct 17 No change 623 ft 0 days
Crawford County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 507 ft 1 days
Cumberland County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 598 ft 0 days
De Witt County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 712 ft 0 days
DeKalb County Oct 9 – Oct 17 No change 809 ft 1 days
Douglas County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 653 ft 0 days
DuPage County Oct 9 – Oct 17 No change 721 ft 0 days
Edgar County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 657 ft 0 days
Edwards County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 425 ft 1 days
Effingham County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 580 ft 0 days
Fayette County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 577 ft 1 days
Ford County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 748 ft 0 days
Franklin County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 416 ft 1 days
Fulton County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 621 ft 0 days
Gallatin County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 361 ft 0 days
Greene County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 580 ft 1 days
Grundy County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 587 ft 0 days
Hamilton County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 466 ft 1 days
Hancock County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 646 ft 0 days
Hardin County Oct 21 – Oct 29 No change 462 ft 1 days
Henderson County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 665 ft 1 days
Henry County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 696 ft 1 days
Iroquois County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 673 ft 0 days
Jackson County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 438 ft 0 days
Jasper County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 510 ft 0 days
Jefferson County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 489 ft 0 days
Jersey County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 602 ft 1 days
Jo Daviess County Oct 7 – Oct 15 No change 811 ft 0 days
Johnson County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 515 ft 1 days
Kane County Oct 9 – Oct 17 No change 729 ft 1 days
Kankakee County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 654 ft 0 days
Kendall County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 648 ft 0 days
Knox County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 682 ft 1 days
Lake County Oct 8 – Oct 16 No change 734 ft 1 days
LaSalle County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 666 ft 1 days
Lawrence County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 443 ft 0 days
Lee County Oct 9 – Oct 17 No change 761 ft 1 days
Livingston County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 688 ft 1 days
Logan County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 598 ft 0 days
Macon County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 675 ft 0 days
Macoupin County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 624 ft 0 days
Madison County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 515 ft 0 days
Marion County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 530 ft 0 days
Marshall County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 672 ft 1 days
Mason County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 491 ft 1 days
Massac County Oct 22 – Oct 30 No change 373 ft 1 days
McDonough County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 651 ft 0 days
McHenry County Oct 7 – Oct 15 No change 876 ft 0 days
McLean County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 761 ft 0 days
Menard County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 582 ft 0 days
Mercer County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 700 ft 1 days
Monroe County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 510 ft 1 days
Montgomery County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 643 ft 0 days
Morgan County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 616 ft 1 days
Moultrie County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 657 ft 0 days
Ogle County Oct 8 – Oct 16 No change 784 ft 0 days
Peoria County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 658 ft 0 days
Perry County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 445 ft 1 days
Piatt County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 696 ft 1 days
Pike County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 586 ft 1 days
Pope County Oct 21 – Oct 29 No change 486 ft 0 days
Pulaski County Oct 22 – Oct 30 No change 360 ft 0 days
Putnam County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 638 ft 0 days
Randolph County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 460 ft 1 days
Richland County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 483 ft 1 days
Rock Island County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 599 ft 0 days
Saline County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 383 ft 0 days
Sangamon County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 599 ft 1 days
Schuyler County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 607 ft 1 days
Scott County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 580 ft 0 days
Shelby County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 633 ft 0 days
St. Clair County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 427 ft 0 days
Stark County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 707 ft 0 days
Stephenson County Oct 7 – Oct 15 No change 858 ft 0 days
Tazewell County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 600 ft 1 days
Union County Oct 21 – Oct 29 No change 439 ft 1 days
Vermilion County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 673 ft 1 days
Wabash County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 432 ft 1 days
Warren County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 773 ft 1 days
Washington County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 502 ft 1 days
Wayne County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 423 ft 1 days
White County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 402 ft 0 days
Whiteside County Oct 9 – Oct 17 No change 629 ft 1 days
Will County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 671 ft 0 days
Williamson County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 480 ft 0 days
Winnebago County Oct 7 – Oct 15 No change 805 ft 1 days
Woodford County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 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 No change
Mid elevation 600 ft Oct 15 No change
Valleys & lowlands 450 ft Oct 15 No change

Foliage stages

  1. No change 0–10%
  2. First color 10–25%
  3. Approaching peak 25–60%
  4. Peak 60–90%
  5. Past peak 40–70%, dropping
  6. Bare <20%

Light at peak

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

Solar event times for Illinois on October 15
EventTime
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

Which way to point the camera

Sun rises E, sets W.

Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.

Location pages name the light directly.

Where to shoot in Illinois

3 researched locations, earliest peak first.

Recent reports from Illinois

Report what you saw
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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.

Nearby states