New York in Autumn — Travel Guide
By Harry Nara · Last updated
New York City in Autumn offers some of the best conditions of the year, ideal for foliage & culture buffs. Expect temperatures of 11–18°C, around 9–10 days of rain, and medium crowds across the city. Daily budgets typically land around $100–220 for mid-range travellers. Book three to four weeks ahead for the best mid-range rates and the widest hotel choice.
Contents16 sections
- At a Glance
- Weather in New York City in Autumn
- September to November in New York
- What to Do in New York City in Autumn
- Getting Around
- Budget & Costs
- Food & Dining
- Nightlife
- Shopping
- Culture & Etiquette
- Essential Local Phrases
- Packing List
- Backup Plans (Cold or Rainy Days)
- Safety & Health
- What's New for Autumn 2027
- About This Guide
#At a Glance
Autumn in New York runs from the last humid days of early September to the first cold winds of late November, and in between sits the city's finest stretch of weather.
September is warm and busy, with the US Open finishing on 12 September 2027 and Midtown filling for the United Nations General Assembly.
October is the classic month: crisp, bright days, the Hudson Valley at its most colourful within a train ride, and the Village Halloween Parade on Sunday 31 October.
November brings the New York City Marathon on Sunday 7 November 2027, the same morning the clocks go back, and the Thanksgiving Parade on Thursday 25 November. Central Park's own colour comes late, from the end of October into mid-November. It is also an expensive season: hotel rates are among the highest of the year, so book early.
#Weather in New York City in Autumn
New York City in Autumn averages 11–18°C (52–64°F) with around 9–10 days of rain, and crowds are medium.
| Month | Daytime high | Overnight low | Wet days | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | About 25°C / 77°F | About 17°C / 62°F | About 9 | 7:29pm on the 1st |
| October | About 18°C / 65°F | About 11°C / 51°F | About 10 | 5:54pm by the 31st |
| November | About 12°C / 54°F | About 6°C / 42°F | About 9 | 4:46pm after the clocks change on the 7th |
Figures are NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Central Park.
What that actually means for your trip:
- September is still summer for its first half, often humid and in the high twenties, before the air turns fresher.
- October is the most reliable month, with dry, sunny days and cool evenings, though a wet Nor'easter can blow through.
- November turns cold and grey, especially after the middle of the month, and the wind between the towers bites.
- The days shorten fast. Once the clocks go back on 7 November it is dark before 5pm.
Is autumn a good time to visit New York? Yes, it is many people's favourite season: comfortable for walking, full of events and beautiful in the parks. The cost is the hotel prices, which peak with the UN week in September and the marathon and Thanksgiving weekends in November. October is the sweet spot of weather and calendar.
#September to November in New York
September. Labor Day, Monday 6 September 2027, marks the end of summer, and the US Open at Flushing Meadows runs until 12 September.
The Feast of San Gennaro fills Mulberry Street in Little Italy for eleven days in mid-September.
In the second half of the month, the United Nations General Assembly brings world leaders to Midtown East: roads close around the UN at short notice and hotels across Manhattan are at their dearest.
The New York Film Festival opens at Lincoln Center in late September.
October. The Open House New York weekend, usually in mid-October, opens buildings that are normally closed, and New York Comic Con fills the Javits Center early in the month.
The Village Halloween Parade marches up Sixth Avenue from 7pm on Sunday 31 October 2027; anyone in costume can join. See our Halloween Parade guide.
November. The New York City Marathon crosses all five boroughs on Sunday 7 November 2027, the same day the clocks go back an hour; see our Marathon guide.
The Veterans Day Parade marches up Fifth Avenue on Thursday 11 November.
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade runs on Thursday 25 November, with the giant balloons inflated beside the American Museum of Natural History the afternoon before; see our Thanksgiving Parade guide. The holiday markets and the Bryant Park rink open during the autumn.
#What to Do in New York City in Autumn
Solo Travellers
Take the train to Beacon for the vast art museum of Dia Beacon, or to Cold Spring for a hike above the Hudson in October colour. Back in the city, catch a screening at the New York Film Festival, or walk the High Line on a clear autumn evening.
Couples
Hire a rowing boat on the Lake in Central Park on an October afternoon, then walk through the Ramble to Bow Bridge. Dinner in the West Village and a set at one of its jazz clubs is the classic autumn night.
Families
Halloween is a big night for children in New York: the brownstone streets of Park Slope and the Upper West Side decorate their stoops, and the Village parade is a spectacle.
The American Museum of Natural History and the Bronx Zoo are good on cooler days, and the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx is at its best in October.
Groups
Watch the marathon from First Avenue in Manhattan, where the noise is loudest, or from Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn, then find a bar along the course. In October, a pick-your-own apple trip by train or car into the Hudson Valley makes a good group day out.
#Getting Around
All three airports connect to the city by rail or bus: the AirTrain from JFK to the subway, the free Q70 bus from LaGuardia to Jackson Heights, and NJ Transit trains from Newark to Penn Station. On the subway and buses, tap a contactless card or phone with OMNY: a ride costs $3, and you never pay more than $35 in seven days on the same card.
Metro-North trains from Grand Central reach the Hudson Valley towns of Cold Spring and Beacon in about 75 to 90 minutes, the easiest way to see the autumn colour. On marathon Sunday, bridges and avenues on the course close from early morning; take the subway.
#Budget & Costs
| Travel style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | $140–200 | Hostel bed, slices and bagels, OMNY travel, free parks |
| Mid-range | $380–550 | 3- or 4-star hotel, restaurant meals, one paid museum |
| Luxury | $1,000+ | Top hotels, fine dining, Broadway premium seats |
Autumn is high season: the UN week, the marathon weekend and Thanksgiving are the dearest.
Costs worth knowing:
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Subway or bus ride | $3 |
| OMNY weekly cap | $35 |
| Watching the marathon and the parades | Free |
| Staten Island Ferry | Free |
| Restaurant tip | 18–20% |
- Hotel taxes are added to the room rate, so compare totals.
- Book Thanksgiving week early; hotels near the parade route fill months ahead.
- Free culture: the parks, the Village Halloween Parade, and the marathon from the kerb.
#Food & Dining
Autumn is apple and squash season, and the Union Square Greenmarket is at its fullest, with apples, cider and doughnuts from the Hudson Valley farms. The big restaurant openings land in September and October. For a classic New York day of eating, try a bagel and lox in the morning, a slice of pizza at lunch, and pastrami at Katz's on the Lower East Side. Thanksgiving dinner is served in many restaurants, but book weeks ahead.
#Nightlife
The cultural season opens in the autumn: Broadway's new shows, the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center, and the jazz clubs of the Village, such as the Village Vanguard and Smalls. Halloween weekend fills every bar with costumes.
#Shopping
The department stores on Fifth Avenue and in Herald Square unveil their holiday windows in November, and the Bryant Park Winter Village market opens in late October.
The Strand bookshop near Union Square is a rainy-afternoon refuge, and the sample sales of the Garment District are busiest before the holidays.
#Culture & Etiquette
- Tipping is expected: 18–20% at restaurants, a dollar or two a drink at bars.
- Halloween is for adults too; a costume is welcome almost anywhere on the night.
- On marathon Sunday, cheer runners by name if it is printed on their shirt; it is a New York custom.
- Thanksgiving is a family holiday; many shops close for the day, and the city is quiet after the parade.
- Keep moving on the pavement, and step aside to check your phone.
#Essential Local Phrases
| What you want to say | What New Yorkers say |
|---|---|
| Leaves changing colour | Fall foliage |
| The corner shop | The bodega |
| A long, tiring journey | A schlep |
| The train up the Hudson | Metro-North |
| Queueing | Waiting on line |
| Sitting outside on the front steps | Stoop-sitting |
| The Upper West Side | The UWS |
| The Thanksgiving Day Parade | The Macy's parade |
#Packing List
- Layers: a light jacket for September, a warm coat for November
- A scarf and gloves for late autumn
- A compact umbrella for Nor'easters
- Comfortable walking shoes
- A costume, if you are in town for Halloween
- A contactless card or phone for OMNY
#Backup Plans (Cold or Rainy Days)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA and the Natural History Museum can each fill a wet day, and the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue is free to visit.
The Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side runs guided tours indoors.
If marathon closures block your plans: use the subway, which runs normally, and cross the course only where marshals allow it.
If a cold snap hits in November: graze your way through Chelsea Market, the covered food hall in an old biscuit factory, and see a Broadway matinee.
#Safety & Health
New York is generally safe for visitors. Keep bags and phones close in the crowds at the parades, the marathon and Times Square. The Atlantic hurricane season runs until 30 November; a storm rarely hits the city directly, but heavy rain can flood low-lying streets and some subway stations, so follow the alerts.
Emergency: 911, or 311 for city information.
#What's New for Autumn 2027
- The New York City Marathon is on Sunday 7 November 2027, the day the clocks go back
- The Village Halloween Parade falls on Sunday 31 October 2027
- Thanksgiving is Thursday 25 November, with the balloons inflated on the 24th
- The US Open finishes on 12 September 2027
- The subway fare is $3, capped at $35 in any seven days
#About This Guide
By Harry Nara (founder of WhenToWander), updated October 2026 for autumn 2027. Climate figures are NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Central Park. Dates and prices verified against:
- New York Road Runners for the marathon
- Village Halloween Parade for the parade
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for the parade and balloon inflation
- On Location, the US Open's official hospitality partner, for the 2027 dates
- MTA for subway fares and the OMNY cap
For each month in detail, see New York in September, New York in October and New York in November.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When is peak fall foliage in New York?
In Central Park and the city, usually from the end of October into mid-November, two or three weeks after the Hudson Valley, where colour peaks around mid-October. Metro-North trains from Grand Central reach Cold Spring and Beacon in about 75 to 90 minutes.
Is autumn a good time to visit New York?
Yes, for many people it is the best: comfortable walking weather, the parks in colour and a full calendar, from the US Open to Halloween and Thanksgiving. The catch is price, as hotels peak for UN week in September and for the marathon and Thanksgiving weekends.
When is the New York City Marathon in 2027?
Sunday 7 November 2027, the first Sunday in November, which is also the day the clocks go back. About 50,000 runners cross all five boroughs; watching is free, and the roads on the course close for most of the day.
What is the weather like in New York in November?
Cool to cold: about 12°C by day and 6°C at night on average, turning colder and greyer through the month, with about nine wet days. After the clocks go back on 7 November it is dark before 5pm. Bring a warm coat, a scarf and waterproof shoes.
How much does it cost to visit New York City in Autumn?
Budget-conscious travellers can expect daily costs of $100–220, covering accommodation, food, and local transport. Flexible dates can save up to 20% compared with peak-week rates.