Skip to content
Fall Photo Guide

Missouri Fall Foliage 2026

No change 0–10% Typical peak in 36 days

Typical peak is October 23, 2026, within the broader October 19–27 window. High ground around 1,350 feet typically peaks near October 22, while valleys near 650 feet peak around October 25; northern Missouri generally peaks in mid-October, and the southern Ozarks extend from late October into early November.

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

When Missouri peaks

Oct 19 – Oct 27

Centered on Oct 23. Northern Missouri peaks mid-October; the southern Ozarks late October into early November.

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
  • sassafras
  • dogwood

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 23

Typical color progression for Missouri. No change from Sep 15 to Oct 2. First color from Oct 2 to Oct 11. Approaching peak from Oct 11 to Oct 19. Peak from Oct 19 to Oct 27. Past peak from Oct 27 to Nov 6. Bare from Nov 6 to Nov 20.

typical peak today

Missouri is typically at no change on this date.

Missouri by county

14 days from Atchison County to Pemiscot County.

Typical fall foliage stage by county in Missouri on September 17 Each county is shaded by its typical foliage stage. Peak runs from Oct 15 in Atchison County to Oct 29 in Pemiscot County. Every county, its stage and its typical peak date are listed as text below the map. Adair County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Andrew County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Atchison County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Audrain County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Barry County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Barton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Bates County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Benton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Bollinger County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 25 Boone County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Buchanan County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Butler County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 27 Caldwell County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Callaway County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Camden County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Cape Girardeau County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 25 Carroll County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Carter County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 25 Cass County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Cedar County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Chariton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Christian County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Clark County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Clay County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Clinton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Cole County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Cooper County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Crawford County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Dade County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Dallas County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Daviess County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 DeKalb County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Dent County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Douglas County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Dunklin County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 28 Franklin County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Gasconade County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Gentry County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Greene County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Grundy County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Harrison County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Henry County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Hickory County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Holt County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Howard County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Howell County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 25 Iron County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Jackson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Jasper County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Jefferson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Johnson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Knox County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Laclede County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Lafayette County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Lawrence County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Lewis County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Lincoln County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Linn County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Livingston County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Macon County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Madison County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Maries County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Marion County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 McDonald County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 25 Mercer County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Miller County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Mississippi County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 27 Moniteau County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Monroe County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Montgomery County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Morgan County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 New Madrid County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 28 Newton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Nodaway County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Oregon County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 25 Osage County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Ozark County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 26 Pemiscot County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 29 Perry County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Pettis County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Phelps County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Pike County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Platte County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Polk County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Pulaski County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Putnam County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Ralls County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Randolph County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Ray County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Reynolds County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Ripley County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 26 Saline County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Schuyler County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Scotland County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Scott County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 26 Shannon County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Shelby County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 St. Charles County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 St. Clair County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 St. Francois County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 St. Louis city: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 St. Louis County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Ste. Genevieve County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Stoddard County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 27 Stone County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Sullivan County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Taney County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 25 Texas County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Vernon County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 23 Warren County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Washington County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Wayne County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 25 Webster County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Worth County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Wright County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 22 Ha Ha Tonka Castle Bluff Alley Spring Mill Mingo 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
Adair County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 925 ft 1 days
Andrew County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 1,002 ft 1 days
Atchison County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 1,021 ft 1 days
Audrain County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 812 ft 0 days
Barry County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 1,350 ft 2 days
Barton County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 973 ft 0 days
Bates County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 823 ft 1 days
Benton County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 870 ft 1 days
Bollinger County Oct 21 – Oct 29 No change 579 ft 1 days
Boone County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 734 ft 0 days
Buchanan County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 984 ft 1 days
Butler County Oct 23 – Oct 31 No change 319 ft 1 days
Caldwell County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 878 ft 0 days
Callaway County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 734 ft 1 days
Camden County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 842 ft 2 days
Cape Girardeau County Oct 21 – Oct 29 No change 474 ft 0 days
Carroll County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 752 ft 0 days
Carter County Oct 21 – Oct 29 No change 761 ft 0 days
Cass County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 920 ft 1 days
Cedar County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 941 ft 1 days
Chariton County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 688 ft 0 days
Christian County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 1,215 ft 1 days
Clark County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 664 ft 0 days
Clay County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 899 ft 1 days
Clinton County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 970 ft 1 days
Cole County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 681 ft 1 days
Cooper County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 749 ft 0 days
Crawford County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 964 ft 1 days
Dade County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 1,045 ft 1 days
Dallas County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 1,087 ft 0 days
Daviess County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 884 ft 1 days
DeKalb County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 966 ft 0 days
Dent County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 1,214 ft 0 days
Douglas County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 1,148 ft 1 days
Dunklin County Oct 24 – Nov 1 No change 254 ft 1 days
Franklin County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 750 ft 1 days
Gasconade County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 806 ft 1 days
Gentry County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 953 ft 0 days
Greene County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 1,273 ft 1 days
Grundy County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 828 ft 0 days
Harrison County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 945 ft 0 days
Henry County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 798 ft 1 days
Hickory County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 987 ft 1 days
Holt County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 930 ft 1 days
Howard County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 733 ft 1 days
Howell County Oct 21 – Oct 29 No change 1,021 ft 1 days
Iron County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 1,239 ft 2 days
Jackson County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 944 ft 1 days
Jasper County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 1,017 ft 1 days
Jefferson County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 578 ft 1 days
Johnson County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 862 ft 1 days
Knox County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 765 ft 0 days
Laclede County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 1,165 ft 1 days
Lafayette County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 808 ft 1 days
Lawrence County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 1,279 ft 2 days
Lewis County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 629 ft 1 days
Lincoln County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 643 ft 1 days
Linn County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 797 ft 1 days
Livingston County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 781 ft 1 days
Macon County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 837 ft 1 days
Madison County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 734 ft 1 days
Maries County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 836 ft 1 days
Marion County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 672 ft 0 days
McDonald County Oct 21 – Oct 29 No change 1,125 ft 1 days
Mercer County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 937 ft 1 days
Miller County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 735 ft 1 days
Mississippi County Oct 23 – Oct 31 No change 305 ft 0 days
Moniteau County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 818 ft 1 days
Monroe County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 738 ft 0 days
Montgomery County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 756 ft 1 days
Morgan County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 949 ft 2 days
New Madrid County Oct 24 – Nov 1 No change 282 ft 1 days
Newton County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 1,129 ft 1 days
Nodaway County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 1,066 ft 1 days
Oregon County Oct 21 – Oct 29 No change 840 ft 1 days
Osage County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 727 ft 1 days
Ozark County Oct 22 – Oct 30 No change 849 ft 1 days
Pemiscot County Oct 25 – Nov 2 No change 262 ft 0 days
Perry County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 512 ft 1 days
Pettis County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 881 ft 1 days
Phelps County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 1,032 ft 1 days
Pike County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 724 ft 1 days
Platte County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 908 ft 1 days
Polk County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 1,062 ft 1 days
Pulaski County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 1,021 ft 0 days
Putnam County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 1,000 ft 1 days
Ralls County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 665 ft 0 days
Randolph County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 797 ft 1 days
Ray County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 864 ft 1 days
Reynolds County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 1,012 ft 2 days
Ripley County Oct 22 – Oct 30 No change 548 ft 1 days
Saline County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 714 ft 1 days
Schuyler County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 934 ft 1 days
Scotland County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 727 ft 1 days
Scott County Oct 22 – Oct 30 No change 325 ft 0 days
Shannon County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 992 ft 1 days
Shelby County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 771 ft 0 days
St. Charles County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 532 ft 1 days
St. Clair County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 846 ft 0 days
St. Francois County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 902 ft 2 days
St. Louis city Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 501 ft 0 days
St. Louis County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 580 ft 1 days
Ste. Genevieve County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 638 ft 1 days
Stoddard County Oct 23 – Oct 31 No change 321 ft 0 days
Stone County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 1,221 ft 2 days
Sullivan County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 895 ft 1 days
Taney County Oct 21 – Oct 29 No change 864 ft 2 days
Texas County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 1,233 ft 1 days
Vernon County Oct 19 – Oct 27 No change 820 ft 1 days
Warren County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 829 ft 1 days
Washington County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 967 ft 1 days
Wayne County Oct 21 – Oct 29 No change 632 ft 0 days
Webster County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 1,451 ft 0 days
Worth County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 1,019 ft 1 days
Wright County Oct 18 – Oct 26 No change 1,424 ft 0 days

Peak by elevation

3 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 1,350 ft Oct 22 No change
Mid elevation 1,100 ft Oct 23 No change
Valleys & lowlands 650 ft Oct 25 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

Missouri on October 23, the center of its typical peak window.

Solar event times for Missouri on October 23
EventTime
First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon 6:53 AM
Sunrise Rises ESE · 104° 7:20 AM
Morning golden hour ends 36 min of low, warm light 7:56 AM
Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light 12:49 PM
Evening golden hour starts 36 min before sunset 5:42 PM
Sunset Sets WSW · 256° 6:18 PM
Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon 6:44 PM

Times in America/Chicago · day length 10h 58m · 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 Missouri

3 researched locations, earliest peak first.

Recent reports from Missouri

Report what you saw
Loading reports…

Common questions

When do the leaves change in Missouri?
Missouri typically peaks Oct 19 – Oct 27, centered on Oct 23. Northern Missouri peaks mid-October; the southern Ozarks late October into early November. These are typical dates from a latitude and elevation model; current conditions may differ.
Where are the best places to see fall color in Missouri?
The guide includes 3 researched locations in Missouri, including Ha Ha Tonka Castle Bluff, Alley Spring Mill, Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. Ha Ha Tonka Castle Bluff turns first, around Oct 22, and Mingo National Wildlife Refuge is last, around Oct 26. Each includes coordinates, elevation and sunrise light times.
What trees turn color in Missouri?
Mainly sugar maple, oak, hickory, sassafras, dogwood. 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