When do the leaves change in Indiana?

Indiana typically peaks Oct 15 – Oct 23, centered on Oct 19. Northern counties peak in mid-October, the Ohio River valley in 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 Indiana?

The guide includes 3 researched locations in Indiana, including Sunset Point, Turkey Run, Hesitation Point, Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge. Sunset Point, Turkey Run turns first, around Oct 18, and Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge is last, around Oct 21. Each includes coordinates, elevation and sunrise light times.

What trees turn color in Indiana?

Mainly sugar maple, oak, hickory, tulip poplar, sassafras. 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.

Indiana Fall Foliage 2026

Approaching peak 25–60% Typical peak in 7 days

Typical peak window

Oct 15 – Oct 23

Centered on Oct 19 at reference elevation.

high confidence in typical timing.

Northern counties peak in mid-October, the Ohio River valley in late October.

Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated Oct 12, 2026.

Seasonal timing

Indiana typically peaks around October 19, with a statewide window from October 15 to 23. Northern counties usually peak in mid-October; higher ground around 1,050 feet peaks near October 18, valleys around 550 feet near October 20, and the Ohio River valley in late October.

What turns here

sugar maple
oak
hickory
tulip poplar
sassafras

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 19

typical peak Oct 12, 2026

Indiana is typically at approaching peak on Oct 12, 2026.

Indiana by county

11 days from Elkhart County to Spencer County.

35 of 92 counties are typically at peak on Oct 12, 2026. 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 Oct 12, 2026	Median elev.	Spread
Adams County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Peak	836 ft	0 days
Allen County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Peak	802 ft	1 days
Bartholomew County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Approaching peak	644 ft	1 days
Benton County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Peak	742 ft	0 days
Blackford County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Peak	898 ft	0 days
Boone County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Approaching peak	933 ft	0 days
Brown County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Approaching peak	719 ft	1 days
Carroll County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Peak	677 ft	0 days
Cass County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Peak	728 ft	1 days
Clark County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Approaching peak	578 ft	1 days
Clay County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Approaching peak	627 ft	1 days
Clinton County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Peak	846 ft	1 days
Crawford County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Approaching peak	680 ft	0 days
Daviess County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Approaching peak	485 ft	1 days
Dearborn County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Approaching peak	868 ft	1 days
Decatur County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Approaching peak	882 ft	1 days
DeKalb County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Peak	860 ft	1 days
Delaware County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Peak	950 ft	0 days
Dubois County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Approaching peak	475 ft	0 days
Elkhart County	Oct 9 – Oct 17	Peak	867 ft	0 days
Fayette County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Approaching peak	1,000 ft	1 days
Floyd County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Approaching peak	760 ft	1 days
Fountain County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Approaching peak	648 ft	1 days
Franklin County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Approaching peak	952 ft	1 days
Fulton County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Peak	770 ft	0 days
Gibson County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Approaching peak	433 ft	0 days
Grant County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Peak	869 ft	0 days
Greene County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Approaching peak	579 ft	1 days
Hamilton County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Approaching peak	815 ft	0 days
Hancock County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Approaching peak	872 ft	0 days
Harrison County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Approaching peak	698 ft	0 days
Hendricks County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Approaching peak	885 ft	1 days
Henry County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Approaching peak	1,058 ft	1 days
Howard County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Peak	825 ft	0 days
Huntington County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Peak	823 ft	0 days
Jackson County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Approaching peak	571 ft	1 days
Jasper County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Peak	688 ft	0 days
Jay County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Peak	943 ft	1 days
Jefferson County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Approaching peak	781 ft	1 days
Jennings County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Approaching peak	680 ft	0 days
Johnson County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Approaching peak	759 ft	1 days
Knox County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Approaching peak	459 ft	1 days
Kosciusko County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Peak	846 ft	0 days
LaGrange County	Oct 9 – Oct 17	Peak	924 ft	0 days
Lake County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Peak	660 ft	0 days
LaPorte County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Peak	721 ft	1 days
Lawrence County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Approaching peak	619 ft	1 days
Madison County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Approaching peak	878 ft	0 days
Marion County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Approaching peak	777 ft	0 days
Marshall County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Peak	801 ft	0 days
Martin County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Approaching peak	555 ft	1 days
Miami County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Peak	799 ft	1 days
Monroe County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Approaching peak	723 ft	1 days
Montgomery County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Approaching peak	818 ft	0 days
Morgan County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Approaching peak	773 ft	1 days
Newton County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Peak	670 ft	0 days
Noble County	Oct 9 – Oct 17	Peak	912 ft	1 days
Ohio County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Approaching peak	825 ft	0 days
Orange County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Approaching peak	715 ft	1 days
Owen County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Approaching peak	651 ft	1 days
Parke County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Approaching peak	641 ft	1 days
Perry County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Approaching peak	521 ft	0 days
Pike County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Approaching peak	488 ft	0 days
Porter County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Peak	700 ft	0 days
Posey County	Oct 20 – Oct 28	Approaching peak	397 ft	1 days
Pulaski County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Peak	686 ft	0 days
Putnam County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Approaching peak	827 ft	0 days
Randolph County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Peak	1,116 ft	0 days
Ripley County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Approaching peak	931 ft	0 days
Rush County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Approaching peak	978 ft	1 days
Scott County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Approaching peak	620 ft	0 days
Shelby County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Approaching peak	770 ft	1 days
Spencer County	Oct 20 – Oct 28	Approaching peak	422 ft	1 days
St. Joseph County	Oct 9 – Oct 17	Peak	802 ft	1 days
Starke County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Peak	707 ft	0 days
Steuben County	Oct 9 – Oct 17	Peak	994 ft	1 days
Sullivan County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Approaching peak	501 ft	1 days
Switzerland County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Approaching peak	832 ft	0 days
Tippecanoe County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Approaching peak	698 ft	0 days
Tipton County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Peak	876 ft	0 days
Union County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Approaching peak	992 ft	1 days
Vanderburgh County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Approaching peak	414 ft	1 days
Vermillion County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Approaching peak	595 ft	1 days
Vigo County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Approaching peak	547 ft	1 days
Wabash County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Peak	785 ft	0 days
Warren County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Approaching peak	690 ft	0 days
Warrick County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Approaching peak	442 ft	0 days
Washington County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Approaching peak	765 ft	0 days
Wayne County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Approaching peak	1,045 ft	0 days
Wells County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Peak	842 ft	0 days
White County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Peak	689 ft	0 days
Whitley County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Peak	857 ft	0 days

Peak by elevation

2 days 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	1,050 ft	Oct 18	Approaching peak
Mid elevation	800 ft	Oct 19	Approaching peak
Valleys & lowlands	550 ft	Oct 20	Approaching peak

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

Indiana on October 19, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.

Solar event times for Indiana on October 19, 2026
Event	Time
First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon	7:31 AM
Sunrise Rises ESE · 102°	7:58 AM
Morning golden hour ends 37 min of low, warm light	8:35 AM
Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light	1:29 PM
Evening golden hour starts 37 min before sunset	6:24 PM
Sunset Sets WSW · 258°	7:01 PM
Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon	7:28 PM

Times in America/Indiana/Indianapolis · day length 11h 3m · 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 ESE, sets WSW.

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

Where to shoot in Indiana

3 researched locations, earliest peak first. Filter these locations

Recent reports from Indiana

Report what you saw

Common questions

When do the leaves change in Indiana?: Indiana typically peaks Oct 15 – Oct 23, centered on Oct 19. Northern counties peak in mid-October, the Ohio River valley in 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 Indiana?: The guide includes 3 researched locations in Indiana, including Sunset Point, Turkey Run, Hesitation Point, Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge. Sunset Point, Turkey Run turns first, around Oct 18, and Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge is last, around Oct 21. Each includes coordinates, elevation and sunrise light times.
What trees turn color in Indiana?: Mainly sugar maple, oak, hickory, tulip poplar, sassafras. 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.