When do the leaves change in Minneapolis?
The Twin Cities get a fast, vivid continental autumn: the Chain of Lakes and the Mississippi gorge turn in early October, and the maple forests along the North Shore of Lake Superior peak even earlier.
Peak: October 1–October 5
Color builds from September 23 · mostly bare by October 24
Sampled at Minneapolis’s own coordinates rather than a regional average. Dates are computed for Minneapolis itself at 253 m elevation. Street trees vary block to block, so check locally before you plan a weekend around it.
48 weather points cover Minnesota, and the model shifts their answer 9 days earlier, which is what it takes to match 2 published peak dates from smokymountains.com. Minnesota is running 4 days earlier than its own average this year. Minnesota does not turn all at once, and the gap from the earliest corner to the latest runs about 4 days. How the forecast works
Fall activities in Minneapolis
Drag the date slider to see when color moves through the country around Minneapolis, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
Minnesota
109 miPeak September 29
The North Shore's birch and maple hillsides drop straight into Lake Superior, while the Superior Hiking Trail traces some of the Midwest's boldest fall overlooks.
Wisconsin
162 miPeak October 8
Northwoods maple and birch forests surround thousands of glacial lakes, with Door County's shoreline bluffs adding a second wave of color along Lake Michigan.
Iowa
206 miPeak October 14
Bluff-top oak-hickory and sugar maple forests along the Mississippi River at Effigy Mounds National Monument and Yellow River State Forest give northeast Iowa its best color, typically peaking in mid-October.
South Dakota
347 miPeak October 11
Spearfish Canyon's birch and aspen turn brilliant gold against Black Hills ponderosa pine, while Custer State Park's hardwood draws add color to granite backdrops. Peak typically falls in late September to early October.
Michigan
378 miPeak October 9
Sugar maples and birches ring the Great Lakes shoreline, with the Tunnel of Trees along M-119 and Upper Peninsula waterfalls framed in color by late September.
Where locals go
Things to do in fall in Minneapolis
Orchards, cider, haunts, and harvest season. These are the iconic fall stops within a day trip of Minneapolis.
Color nearby peaks October 2
The Twin Cities' largest corn maze - nearly 20 acres re-cut to a new design each year - anchors this fall festival in Brooklyn Park, at the…
Excelsior Apple Days
Fall festivalColor nearby peaks October 3
Excelsior's Water Street closes down for a weekend of craft booths, an apple pie contest, history tours and a beer and wine garden, a few…
Anoka Halloween
Fall festivalColor nearby peaks October 2
Anoka bills itself as the Halloween Capital of the World, home to a 106-year-old civic celebration that fills historic downtown through…
Pine Tree Apple Orchard
OrchardColor nearby peaks October 4
A White Bear Lake orchard close enough to the Twin Cities for an after work trip, with a corn maze, u-pick pumpkins and wagon rides out…
Aamodt's Apple Farm
20 miOrchard
Color nearby peaks October 4
Family-run near Stillwater since 1948, this orchard is a Twin Cities fall-weekend fixture built around U-pick Honeycrisp apples, wagon…
in Minnesota
Corn maze
Color nearby peaks October 4
The Peterson family cut the first corn maze in the Midwest here in 1997, and Sever's is now cited as the second-oldest hand-cut maze in the…
in Minnesota
Guides
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in Minneapolis in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 1–October 5 (best estimate October 3). Color starts around September 23 and trees are mostly bare by October 24. These dates are computed for Minneapolis itself, at 253 m elevation, using the same weather model as the tracker.
- When is fall foliage season in Minneapolis?
- Minneapolis colors during autumn (September to November). Counting from the first turn to bare branches that is about 31 days, and the best of it falls in the week either side of October 3.
- What's the best foliage near Minneapolis?
- Minnesota (109 mi, peak ~September 29); Wisconsin (162 mi, peak ~October 8); Iowa (206 mi, peak ~October 14).
- What are the best things to do in fall in Minneapolis?
- Beyond the leaves: Twin Cities Harvest Festival and Maze (14 mi); Excelsior Apple Days (16 mi); Anoka Halloween (16 mi); Pine Tree Apple Orchard (17 mi); Aamodt's Apple Farm (20 mi). All of them are mapped on this page.