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Fall Photo Guide

Ohio Fall Foliage 2026

No change 0–10% Typical peak in 31 days

In a typical season, Ohio’s peak falls on October 18, within an October 14–22 window. At 1,150 feet, color typically peaks around October 17, while 750-foot valleys peak around October 19, a two-day elevation spread. Northeast Ohio usually peaks around mid-October, with southwest Ohio following about a week later.

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

When Ohio peaks

Oct 14 – Oct 22

Centered on Oct 18. Northeast Ohio peaks around mid-October; the southwest a week or so later.

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
  • beech
  • tulip poplar

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 18

Typical color progression for Ohio. No change from Sep 10 to Sep 27. First color from Sep 27 to Oct 6. Approaching peak from Oct 6 to Oct 14. Peak from Oct 14 to Oct 22. Past peak from Oct 22 to Nov 1. Bare from Nov 1 to Nov 15.

typical peak today

Ohio is typically at no change on this date.

Ohio by county

9 days from Geauga County to Lawrence County.

Typical fall foliage stage by county in Ohio on September 17 Each county is shaded by its typical foliage stage. Peak runs from Oct 12 in Geauga County to Oct 21 in Lawrence 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 20 Allen County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Ashland County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Ashtabula County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 13 Athens County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Auglaize County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Belmont County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Brown County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Butler County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Carroll County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Champaign County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Clark County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Clermont County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Clinton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Columbiana County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Coshocton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Crawford County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Cuyahoga County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Darke County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Defiance County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Delaware County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Erie County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Fairfield County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Fayette County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Franklin County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Fulton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Gallia County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Geauga County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 12 Greene County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Guernsey County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Hamilton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Hancock County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Hardin County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Harrison County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Henry County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Highland County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Hocking County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Holmes County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Huron County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Jackson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Jefferson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Knox County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Lake County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 13 Lawrence County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 21 Licking County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Logan County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Lorain County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Lucas County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Madison County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Mahoning County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Marion County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Medina County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 13 Meigs County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Mercer County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Miami County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Monroe County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Montgomery County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Morgan County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Morrow County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Muskingum County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Noble County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Ottawa County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Paulding County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Perry County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Pickaway County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Pike County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Portage County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 13 Preble County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 17 Putnam County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Richland County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Ross County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Sandusky County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Scioto County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 20 Seneca County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Shelby County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Stark County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Summit County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Trumbull County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Tuscarawas County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Union County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 16 Van Wert County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Vinton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Warren County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 18 Washington County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 19 Wayne County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Williams County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 13 Wood County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 14 Wyandot County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 15 Brandywine Falls Steamboat Rock, Clifton Gorge Upper Falls, Old Man's Cave

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 16 – Oct 24 No change 904 ft 2 days
Allen County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 827 ft 0 days
Ashland County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 1,132 ft 0 days
Ashtabula County Oct 9 – Oct 17 No change 939 ft 1 days
Athens County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 841 ft 1 days
Auglaize County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 931 ft 1 days
Belmont County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 1,156 ft 0 days
Brown County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 910 ft 2 days
Butler County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 663 ft 1 days
Carroll County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 1,192 ft 1 days
Champaign County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 1,177 ft 1 days
Clark County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 1,061 ft 1 days
Clermont County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 848 ft 1 days
Clinton County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 1,013 ft 0 days
Columbiana County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 1,140 ft 0 days
Coshocton County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 935 ft 1 days
Crawford County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 1,013 ft 1 days
Cuyahoga County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 832 ft 1 days
Darke County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 1,058 ft 0 days
Defiance County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 720 ft 0 days
Delaware County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 922 ft 0 days
Erie County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 657 ft 1 days
Fairfield County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 993 ft 0 days
Fayette County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 1,001 ft 1 days
Franklin County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 865 ft 1 days
Fulton County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 728 ft 1 days
Gallia County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 692 ft 1 days
Geauga County Oct 8 – Oct 16 No change 1,166 ft 1 days
Greene County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 957 ft 1 days
Guernsey County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 900 ft 1 days
Hamilton County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 766 ft 1 days
Hancock County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 814 ft 1 days
Hardin County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 969 ft 0 days
Harrison County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 1,136 ft 1 days
Henry County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 706 ft 0 days
Highland County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 1,012 ft 1 days
Hocking County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 940 ft 0 days
Holmes County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 1,055 ft 1 days
Huron County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 870 ft 0 days
Jackson County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 784 ft 1 days
Jefferson County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 1,034 ft 2 days
Knox County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 1,136 ft 1 days
Lake County Oct 9 – Oct 17 No change 690 ft 1 days
Lawrence County Oct 17 – Oct 25 No change 771 ft 1 days
Licking County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 1,063 ft 1 days
Logan County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 1,092 ft 2 days
Lorain County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 791 ft 1 days
Lucas County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 648 ft 0 days
Madison County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 1,002 ft 0 days
Mahoning County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 1,090 ft 1 days
Marion County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 928 ft 0 days
Medina County Oct 9 – Oct 17 No change 1,068 ft 1 days
Meigs County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 761 ft 1 days
Mercer County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 921 ft 1 days
Miami County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 944 ft 1 days
Monroe County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 976 ft 1 days
Montgomery County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 897 ft 1 days
Morgan County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 878 ft 1 days
Morrow County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 1,166 ft 1 days
Muskingum County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 871 ft 0 days
Noble County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 994 ft 1 days
Ottawa County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 579 ft 0 days
Paulding County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 724 ft 0 days
Perry County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 958 ft 1 days
Pickaway County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 790 ft 0 days
Pike County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 767 ft 1 days
Portage County Oct 9 – Oct 17 No change 1,099 ft 1 days
Preble County Oct 13 – Oct 21 No change 1,007 ft 0 days
Putnam County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 741 ft 0 days
Richland County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 1,163 ft 0 days
Ross County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 840 ft 1 days
Sandusky County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 642 ft 1 days
Scioto County Oct 16 – Oct 24 No change 733 ft 1 days
Seneca County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 847 ft 1 days
Shelby County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 1,000 ft 1 days
Stark County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 1,106 ft 1 days
Summit County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 1,012 ft 1 days
Trumbull County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 958 ft 1 days
Tuscarawas County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 992 ft 1 days
Union County Oct 12 – Oct 20 No change 985 ft 0 days
Van Wert County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 787 ft 0 days
Vinton County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 777 ft 1 days
Warren County Oct 14 – Oct 22 No change 899 ft 1 days
Washington County Oct 15 – Oct 23 No change 792 ft 1 days
Wayne County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 1,055 ft 1 days
Williams County Oct 9 – Oct 17 No change 871 ft 1 days
Wood County Oct 10 – Oct 18 No change 683 ft 0 days
Wyandot County Oct 11 – Oct 19 No change 883 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 1,150 ft Oct 17 No change
Mid elevation 900 ft Oct 18 No change
Valleys & lowlands 750 ft Oct 19 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

Ohio on October 18, the center of its typical peak window.

Solar event times for Ohio on October 18
EventTime
First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon 7:15 AM
Sunrise Rises ESE · 102° 7:42 AM
Morning golden hour ends 37 min of low, warm light 8:19 AM
Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light 1:15 PM
Evening golden hour starts 37 min before sunset 6:10 PM
Sunset Sets WSW · 258° 6:47 PM
Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon 7:14 PM

Times in America/New York · day length 11h 5m · 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 Ohio

3 researched locations, earliest peak first.

Recent reports from Ohio

Report what you saw
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Common questions

When do the leaves change in Ohio?
Ohio typically peaks Oct 14 – Oct 22, centered on Oct 18. Northeast Ohio peaks around mid-October; the southwest a week or so later. These are typical dates from a latitude and elevation model; current conditions may differ.
Where are the best places to see fall color in Ohio?
The guide includes 3 researched locations in Ohio, including Brandywine Falls, Steamboat Rock, Clifton Gorge, Upper Falls, Old Man's Cave. Brandywine Falls turns first, around Oct 14, and Upper Falls, Old Man's Cave is last, around Oct 18. Each includes coordinates, elevation and sunrise light times.
What trees turn color in Ohio?
Mainly sugar maple, oak, hickory, beech, tulip poplar. 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