When do the leaves change in Kansas?

Kansas typically peaks Oct 15 – Oct 23, centered on Oct 19. A fairly compressed late-October window across the eastern third. These are typical dates from a latitude and elevation model; current conditions may differ.

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

The guide includes 3 researched locations in Kansas, including Cross Timbers State Park, Toronto Lake, Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge, Table Mound Trail, Elk City State Park. Cross Timbers State Park, Toronto Lake turns first, around Oct 22, and Table Mound Trail, Elk City State Park is last, around Oct 24. Each includes coordinates, elevation and sunrise light times.

What trees turn color in Kansas?

Mainly cottonwood, oak, hickory, sumac. 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.

Kansas Fall Foliage 2026

Past peak 40–70%, dropping Typical peak was 13 days ago

Typical peak window

Oct 15 – Oct 23

Centered on Oct 19 at reference elevation.

moderate confidence in typical timing.

A fairly compressed late-October window across the eastern third.

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

Seasonal timing

In a typical season, peak color falls around Oct. 19, within the Oct. 15–23 window. Across the eastern third, the season is fairly compressed, with high ground near 1,150 feet peaking around Oct. 18, valleys near 850 feet around Oct. 20, and the Flint Hills and eastern river corridors carrying the color.

What turns here

cottonwood
oak
hickory
sumac

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 Nov 1, 2026

Kansas is typically at past peak on Nov 1, 2026.

Kansas by county

15 days from Cheyenne County to Montgomery 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
Allen County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Past peak	1,010 ft	0 days
Anderson County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Past peak	1,032 ft	0 days
Atchison County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	1,016 ft	1 days
Barber County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Past peak	1,799 ft	2 days
Barton County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	1,840 ft	1 days
Bourbon County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Past peak	922 ft	1 days
Brown County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	1,121 ft	0 days
Butler County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Past peak	1,363 ft	1 days
Chase County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	1,382 ft	1 days
Chautauqua County	Oct 20 – Oct 28	Past peak	926 ft	0 days
Cherokee County	Oct 20 – Oct 28	Past peak	854 ft	0 days
Cheyenne County	Oct 5 – Oct 13	Bare	3,460 ft	1 days
Clark County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	1,996 ft	2 days
Clay County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	1,276 ft	1 days
Cloud County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	1,459 ft	1 days
Coffey County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Past peak	1,070 ft	0 days
Comanche County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	1,923 ft	1 days
Cowley County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Past peak	1,208 ft	0 days
Crawford County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Past peak	937 ft	0 days
Decatur County	Oct 7 – Oct 15	Bare	2,695 ft	1 days
Dickinson County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	1,280 ft	1 days
Doniphan County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	997 ft	0 days
Douglas County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	1,047 ft	1 days
Edwards County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	2,168 ft	1 days
Elk County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Past peak	1,097 ft	1 days
Ellis County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	2,031 ft	1 days
Ellsworth County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	1,654 ft	1 days
Finney County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Bare	2,884 ft	1 days
Ford County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	2,503 ft	1 days
Franklin County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	954 ft	1 days
Geary County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	1,252 ft	0 days
Gove County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Bare	2,596 ft	1 days
Graham County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Bare	2,321 ft	1 days
Grant County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	3,056 ft	1 days
Gray County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	2,707 ft	1 days
Greeley County	Oct 7 – Oct 15	Bare	3,649 ft	1 days
Greenwood County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Past peak	1,141 ft	1 days
Hamilton County	Oct 9 – Oct 17	Bare	3,405 ft	1 days
Harper County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Past peak	1,319 ft	1 days
Harvey County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	1,425 ft	0 days
Haskell County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	2,929 ft	0 days
Hodgeman County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	2,375 ft	1 days
Jackson County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	1,106 ft	1 days
Jefferson County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	1,015 ft	1 days
Jewell County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Bare	1,576 ft	1 days
Johnson County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	995 ft	1 days
Kearny County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Bare	3,147 ft	1 days
Kingman County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Past peak	1,585 ft	1 days
Kiowa County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	2,203 ft	1 days
Labette County	Oct 20 – Oct 28	Past peak	874 ft	0 days
Lane County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Bare	2,769 ft	1 days
Leavenworth County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	938 ft	1 days
Lincoln County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	1,603 ft	0 days
Linn County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Past peak	875 ft	1 days
Logan County	Oct 8 – Oct 16	Bare	3,053 ft	2 days
Lyon County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	1,199 ft	0 days
Marion County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	1,442 ft	0 days
Marshall County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	1,335 ft	1 days
McPherson County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	1,509 ft	0 days
Meade County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	2,473 ft	1 days
Miami County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	937 ft	1 days
Mitchell County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	1,484 ft	1 days
Montgomery County	Oct 20 – Oct 28	Past peak	822 ft	1 days
Morris County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	1,433 ft	1 days
Morton County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Bare	3,466 ft	1 days
Nemaha County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	1,262 ft	1 days
Neosho County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Past peak	924 ft	0 days
Ness County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	2,312 ft	1 days
Norton County	Oct 9 – Oct 17	Bare	2,297 ft	1 days
Osage County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	1,065 ft	0 days
Osborne County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	1,730 ft	1 days
Ottawa County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	1,303 ft	1 days
Pawnee County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	2,089 ft	1 days
Phillips County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Bare	2,028 ft	1 days
Pottawatomie County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	1,206 ft	1 days
Pratt County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	1,923 ft	1 days
Rawlins County	Oct 6 – Oct 14	Bare	3,043 ft	2 days
Reno County	Oct 16 – Oct 24	Past peak	1,601 ft	1 days
Republic County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Bare	1,510 ft	1 days
Rice County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	1,700 ft	1 days
Riley County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	1,285 ft	1 days
Rooks County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Bare	2,013 ft	1 days
Rush County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	2,127 ft	1 days
Russell County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	1,783 ft	1 days
Saline County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	1,321 ft	1 days
Scott County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Bare	2,965 ft	1 days
Sedgwick County	Oct 17 – Oct 25	Past peak	1,358 ft	0 days
Seward County	Oct 13 – Oct 21	Bare	2,796 ft	1 days
Shawnee County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	1,024 ft	0 days
Sheridan County	Oct 8 – Oct 16	Bare	2,746 ft	1 days
Sherman County	Oct 5 – Oct 13	Bare	3,648 ft	2 days
Smith County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Bare	1,794 ft	1 days
Stafford County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	1,897 ft	1 days
Stanton County	Oct 10 – Oct 18	Bare	3,357 ft	1 days
Stevens County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	3,118 ft	1 days
Sumner County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Past peak	1,185 ft	0 days
Thomas County	Oct 7 – Oct 15	Bare	3,185 ft	1 days
Trego County	Oct 11 – Oct 19	Bare	2,367 ft	1 days
Wabaunsee County	Oct 14 – Oct 22	Past peak	1,239 ft	1 days
Wallace County	Oct 6 – Oct 14	Bare	3,600 ft	2 days
Washington County	Oct 12 – Oct 20	Bare	1,368 ft	0 days
Wichita County	Oct 8 – Oct 16	Bare	3,295 ft	1 days
Wilson County	Oct 19 – Oct 27	Past peak	896 ft	0 days
Woodson County	Oct 18 – Oct 26	Past peak	1,010 ft	0 days
Wyandotte County	Oct 15 – Oct 23	Past peak	830 ft	1 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	1,150 ft	Oct 18	Past peak
Mid elevation	1,000 ft	Oct 19	Past peak
Valleys & lowlands	850 ft	Oct 20	Past 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

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

Solar event times for Kansas on October 19, 2026
Event	Time
First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon	7:09 AM
Sunrise Rises ESE · 102°	7:36 AM
Morning golden hour ends 36 min of low, warm light	8:12 AM
Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light	1:07 PM
Evening golden hour starts 36 min before sunset	6:02 PM
Sunset Sets WSW · 258°	6:39 PM
Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon	7:06 PM

Times in America/Chicago · 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 Kansas

3 researched locations, earliest peak first. Filter these locations

Recent reports from Kansas

Report what you saw

Common questions

When do the leaves change in Kansas?: Kansas typically peaks Oct 15 – Oct 23, centered on Oct 19. A fairly compressed late-October window across the eastern third. These are typical dates from a latitude and elevation model; current conditions may differ.
Where are the best places to see fall color in Kansas?: The guide includes 3 researched locations in Kansas, including Cross Timbers State Park, Toronto Lake, Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge, Table Mound Trail, Elk City State Park. Cross Timbers State Park, Toronto Lake turns first, around Oct 22, and Table Mound Trail, Elk City State Park is last, around Oct 24. Each includes coordinates, elevation and sunrise light times.
What trees turn color in Kansas?: Mainly cottonwood, oak, hickory, sumac. 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.