Skip to content
Fall Photo Guide

Kansas Fall Foliage 2026

No change 0–10% Typical peak in 32 days

In a typical season, Kansas reaches peak foliage around October 19, within an October 15–23 window. High ground near 1,150 feet typically peaks around October 18, while valleys near 850 feet peak around October 20, creating a fairly compressed late-October window across the eastern third, including the Flint Hills and eastern river corridors.

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

When Kansas peaks

Oct 15 – Oct 23

Centered on Oct 19. A fairly compressed late-October window across the eastern third.

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

  • 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 color progression for Kansas. No change from Sep 11 to Sep 28. First color from Sep 28 to Oct 7. Approaching peak from Oct 7 to Oct 15. Peak from Oct 15 to Oct 23. Past peak from Oct 23 to Nov 2. Bare from Nov 2 to Nov 16.

typical peak today

Kansas is typically at no change on this date.

Kansas by county

15 days from Cheyenne County to Montgomery County.

Typical fall foliage stage by county in Kansas on September 17 Each county is shaded by its typical foliage stage. Peak runs from Oct 9 in Cheyenne County to Oct 24 in Montgomery County. Every county, its stage and its typical peak date are listed as text below the map. Allen County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Anderson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Atchison County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Barber County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Barton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Bourbon County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Brown County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Butler County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Chase County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Chautauqua County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Cherokee County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Cheyenne County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 9 Clark County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Clay County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Cloud County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Coffey County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Comanche County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Cowley County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Crawford County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Decatur County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 11 Dickinson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Doniphan County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Douglas County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Edwards County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Elk County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Ellis County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Ellsworth County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Finney County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Ford County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Franklin County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Geary County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Gove County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Graham County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Grant County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Gray County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Greeley County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 11 Greenwood County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Hamilton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 13 Harper County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Harvey County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Haskell County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Hodgeman County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Jackson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Jefferson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Jewell County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Johnson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Kearny County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Kingman County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Kiowa County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Labette County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Lane County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Leavenworth County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Lincoln County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Linn County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Logan County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 12 Lyon County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Marion County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Marshall County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 McPherson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Meade County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Miami County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Mitchell County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Montgomery County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Morris County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Morton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Nemaha County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Neosho County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Ness County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Norton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 13 Osage County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Osborne County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Ottawa County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Pawnee County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Phillips County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Pottawatomie County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Pratt County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Rawlins County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 10 Reno County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Republic County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Rice County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Riley County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Rooks County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Rush County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Russell County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Saline County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Scott County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Sedgwick County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Seward County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Shawnee County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Sheridan County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 12 Sherman County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 9 Smith County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Stafford County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Stanton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Stevens County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Sumner County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Thomas County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 11 Trego County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Wabaunsee County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Wallace County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 10 Washington County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Wichita County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 12 Wilson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Woodson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Wyandotte County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Cross Timbers State Park, Toronto Lake Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge Table Mound Trail, Elk City State Park

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
Allen County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 1,010 ft 0 days
Anderson County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 1,032 ft 0 days
Atchison County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 1,016 ft 1 days
Barber County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 1,799 ft 2 days
Barton County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 1,840 ft 1 days
Bourbon County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 922 ft 1 days
Brown County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 1,121 ft 0 days
Butler County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 1,363 ft 1 days
Chase County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 1,382 ft 1 days
Chautauqua County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 926 ft 0 days
Cherokee County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 854 ft 0 days
Cheyenne County Oct 5 – Oct 13 No change 3,460 ft 1 days
Clark County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 1,996 ft 2 days
Clay County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 1,276 ft 1 days
Cloud County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 1,459 ft 1 days
Coffey County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 1,070 ft 0 days
Comanche County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 1,923 ft 1 days
Cowley County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 1,208 ft 0 days
Crawford County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 937 ft 0 days
Decatur County Oct 7 – Oct 15 No change 2,695 ft 1 days
Dickinson County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 1,280 ft 1 days
Doniphan County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 997 ft 0 days
Douglas County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 1,047 ft 1 days
Edwards County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 2,168 ft 1 days
Elk County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 1,097 ft 1 days
Ellis County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 2,031 ft 1 days
Ellsworth County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 1,654 ft 1 days
Finney County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 2,884 ft 1 days
Ford County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 2,503 ft 1 days
Franklin County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 954 ft 1 days
Geary County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 1,252 ft 0 days
Gove County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 2,596 ft 1 days
Graham County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 2,321 ft 1 days
Grant County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 3,056 ft 1 days
Gray County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 2,707 ft 1 days
Greeley County Oct 7 – Oct 15 No change 3,649 ft 1 days
Greenwood County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 1,141 ft 1 days
Hamilton County Oct 9 – Oct 17 No change 3,405 ft 1 days
Harper County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 1,319 ft 1 days
Harvey County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 1,425 ft 0 days
Haskell County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 2,929 ft 0 days
Hodgeman County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 2,375 ft 1 days
Jackson County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 1,106 ft 1 days
Jefferson County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 1,015 ft 1 days
Jewell County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 1,576 ft 1 days
Johnson County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 995 ft 1 days
Kearny County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 3,147 ft 1 days
Kingman County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 1,585 ft 1 days
Kiowa County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 2,203 ft 1 days
Labette County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 874 ft 0 days
Lane County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 2,769 ft 1 days
Leavenworth County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 938 ft 1 days
Lincoln County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 1,603 ft 0 days
Linn County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 875 ft 1 days
Logan County Oct 8 – Oct 16 No change 3,053 ft 2 days
Lyon County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 1,199 ft 0 days
Marion County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 1,442 ft 0 days
Marshall County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 1,335 ft 1 days
McPherson County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 1,509 ft 0 days
Meade County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 2,473 ft 1 days
Miami County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 937 ft 1 days
Mitchell County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 1,484 ft 1 days
Montgomery County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 822 ft 1 days
Morris County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 1,433 ft 1 days
Morton County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 3,466 ft 1 days
Nemaha County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 1,262 ft 1 days
Neosho County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 924 ft 0 days
Ness County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 2,312 ft 1 days
Norton County Oct 9 – Oct 17 No change 2,297 ft 1 days
Osage County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 1,065 ft 0 days
Osborne County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 1,730 ft 1 days
Ottawa County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 1,303 ft 1 days
Pawnee County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 2,089 ft 1 days
Phillips County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 2,028 ft 1 days
Pottawatomie County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 1,206 ft 1 days
Pratt County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 1,923 ft 1 days
Rawlins County Oct 6 – Oct 14 No change 3,043 ft 2 days
Reno County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 1,601 ft 1 days
Republic County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 1,510 ft 1 days
Rice County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 1,700 ft 1 days
Riley County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 1,285 ft 1 days
Rooks County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 2,013 ft 1 days
Rush County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 2,127 ft 1 days
Russell County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 1,783 ft 1 days
Saline County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 1,321 ft 1 days
Scott County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 2,965 ft 1 days
Sedgwick County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 1,358 ft 0 days
Seward County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 2,796 ft 1 days
Shawnee County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 1,024 ft 0 days
Sheridan County Oct 8 – Oct 16 No change 2,746 ft 1 days
Sherman County Oct 5 – Oct 13 No change 3,648 ft 2 days
Smith County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 1,794 ft 1 days
Stafford County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 1,897 ft 1 days
Stanton County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 3,357 ft 1 days
Stevens County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 3,118 ft 1 days
Sumner County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 1,185 ft 0 days
Thomas County Oct 7 – Oct 15 No change 3,185 ft 1 days
Trego County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 2,367 ft 1 days
Wabaunsee County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 1,239 ft 1 days
Wallace County Oct 6 – Oct 14 No change 3,600 ft 2 days
Washington County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 1,368 ft 0 days
Wichita County Oct 8 – Oct 16 No change 3,295 ft 1 days
Wilson County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 896 ft 0 days
Woodson County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 1,010 ft 0 days
Wyandotte County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 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 No change
Mid elevation 1,000 ft Oct 19 No change
Valleys & lowlands 850 ft Oct 20 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

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

Solar event times for Kansas on October 19
EventTime
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

Which way to point the camera

Sun rises ESE, sets WSW.

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 Kansas

3 researched locations, earliest peak first.

Recent reports from Kansas

Report what you saw
Loading reports…

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.

Nearby states