When Will We See Peak Fall Foliage In Iowa, Illinois, And Wisconsin?

September means fall, fall means pretty leaves.

You can fight it through August but past Labor Day weekend, it's pretty much officially fall. That means apple orchards, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, haunted houses, and beautiful leaves as the trees start to turn.

A lot of us love to take a drive around the state during the peak fall foliage times to just enjoy the sights. Timing that can be tricky since we're not always sure when the colors will peak and get their most vibrant.

Farmers' Almanac has come out with their forecast of peak fall foliage for 2024. It looks like we have a pretty good window to get out and explore this year before winter sets in.

Peak Fall Foliage: Iowa

The Farmers' Almanac forecast says that peak fall foliage for Iowa will be between October 5th-October 21st. The Iowa DNR gets more specific, citing that Iowa colors peak the closest weekend to October 10th.

Peak Fall Foliage: Illinois

Illinois is right on track with Iowa. The almanac's forecast calls for northern Illinois fall foliage to peak October 5th-October 21st and for southern Illinois' colors to peak October 12th-October 28th.

Similar to Iowa, leaves start changing colors first in the northern part of the state, which according to the Illinois DNR, normally begins in late September.

Peak Fall Foliage: Wisconsin

Wisconsin's peak fall colors aren't set to last as long as Iowa's and Illinois'. Farmers' Almanac predicts their peak to last October 5th-October 14th. The Wisconsin DNR says they last longer than that in the southern part of the state, peaking in late October.

So your best chance for a beautiful fall road trip is likely going to be mid-October in any of the three states, depending on if you're going to the northern or southern part of it. Several states offer fall foliage color report maps so you can check those out before you go and/or enter your findings on it too.