Peak color lands around Oct 29 in most of Delaware, but it moves 1 days across the state. Here’s where, and when, and how sure we are.
Delaware fall foliage map for the week of Nov 9
When is peak fall foliage in Delaware in 2026?
Most of Delaware peaks between Oct 28 and Oct 29. The first county to peak is Kent County, around Oct 28, and the last is Sussex County, around Oct 29.
The whole state turns within about a week, so the dates below differ more by the trees in each county than by where it sits. This fall is running 3 days late on September's temperatures, and the dates here already include it.
| Week | Where it peaks | Most of the state |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, First State National Historical Park and 3 counties | Peak color |
Each date is the middle of the four days we’d aim a trip at, and each place page names them. We score the model against 7 long-running forest monitoring sites in this part of the country and publish what it got wrong.
Late October through mid-November is how Delaware is usually described.
Delaware’s season place by place
Every place we forecast in Delaware, each set on the calendar at its peak and painted by how far along it is today, Nov 10.
First: First State National Historical Park, Oct 26. Last: Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Oct 31.
The dashed rule is today; the solid one is the median of the places on this chart, Oct 30. The date at the top of the page is the median county, which includes the low ground between them.
Where to go in Delaware
The destinations we cover in Delaware, in the order their color arrives. Each carries its own forecast and its own band, because a state isn’t one place.
- First State National Historical ParkPast peakPeak Oct 26, oak Oct 29 best Oct 25 to 28
- Bombay Hook National Wildlife RefugePast peakPeak Oct 30 best Oct 29 to Nov 1
- Prime Hook National Wildlife RefugePast peakPeak Oct 31 best Oct 30 to Nov 2
Questions people ask about Delaware fall foliage
- When is peak fall foliage in Delaware?
Most of Delaware peaks between Oct 28 and Oct 29. The first county to peak is Kent County, around Oct 28, and the last is Sussex County, around Oct 29. This fall is running 3 days late on September's temperatures, and the dates here already include it.
- Where is the best fall foliage in Delaware right now?
Peak has passed in the places we cover in Delaware as of Nov 10. Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge and two more was the last, around Oct 31. The live map still shows where russet and late gold are holding.
- How long does peak last in Delaware?
In any one place, about four days at the top, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across Delaware as a whole, peak moves 1 days from Kent County to Sussex County, so there's peak color somewhere in the state for about 5 days.
- Is Delaware past peak?
Yes. As of Nov 10, every one of Delaware's 3 counties is past peak by our forecast. Sussex County was the last, around Oct 29.
- How far along is Delaware's fall foliage today?
On Nov 10, no county in Delaware is at peak yet: 3 of Delaware's 3 counties (100 percent) are past peak. The county map above paints each one, and the live map lets you scrub the day.
- When do the leaves change in Delaware?
The first color shows in Kent County around Oct 7 and peaks there around Oct 28. Sussex County is the last of Delaware's 3 counties, peaking around Oct 29. Most of the state turns through the weeks around Oct 29.
- What's the best time to visit Delaware for fall foliage?
The week of Oct 29 catches the most of the state at once, and the four days we'd aim at there are Oct 28 to 31. That's the leaf peeping window for Delaware as a whole. For Kent County and the counties around it, aim for the week of Oct 28; for Sussex County and its neighbors, the week of Oct 29.
What actually turns
Sweetgums and red maples produce the best color in this low-lying state, with the beech and oak forests of the northern Piedmont turning bronze and gold.
- Red Maple
- Sweetgum
- Tulip Poplar
- American Beech
- White Oak
Brandywine Creek State Park in the Piedmont hills north of Wilmington is the most reliable foliage spot in Delaware, with tulip poplars and beeches coloring the ravines.
Every county by peak week
Kent, New Castle regional, Sussex regional
Every date on this site is a forecast: a model corrected by ground reports, carrying a measured error, published in full. Check conditions with the land manager before you travel. Last reviewed September 2026. Open the live map
See it on the map
The live map covers every county in the country, with a timeline you can scrub through the season, the nearest forest monitoring camera, and the long-term record where we hold one. If you’re going this weekend, the weekend report names where color is at peak right now, region by region.
Before you drive, it’s worth checking fire and smoke conditions for the same forests. A perfect color week is no good under a smoke plume.