Best places to visit in North America in September

North America

United States · 31°C (88°F) · 6 rainy days

Honolulu

Waikīkī surf, Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor and year-round warm sea. Still hot and dry, but crowds thin out after the summer holidays and hotel rates drop.

United States · 28°C (82°F) · 1 rainy days

Los Angeles

Beaches, Hollywood history, free museums and serious taco culture. Still hot and often the sunniest month at the coast, with warm sea and fewer crowds after the school holidays; heat and fire risk can peak.

Canada · 21°C (70°F) · 11 rainy days

Montreal

French-speaking bistros, cobbled Old Montreal and a festival nearly every summer week. Warm days, cool nights and thinner crowds; the Botanical Garden's lantern festival begins.

United States · 27°C (81°F) · 8 rainy days

Washington, D.C.

Free Smithsonian museums, monuments on the Mall and historic rowhouse neighbourhoods. Warm and less humid, with Congress back in session and conferences pushing up midweek hotel prices.

United States · 23°C (73°F) · 9 rainy days

Boston

Revolutionary history, brownstone streets, harbour seafood and Fenway Park. Warm, settled weather and a lively city as students return; conferences make it one of the priciest months for hotels.

United States · 24°C (75°F) · 9 rainy days

Chicago

Skyscraper architecture, lakefront beaches, deep-dish pizza and blues clubs. Often the best month: warm, sunny and less humid, with outdoor dining still going and summer crowds thinning.

United States · 25°C (77°F) · 9 rainy days

New York City

Skyline views, world-class museums, Broadway and food from every culture. Warm and less humid — one of the best months — but the UN General Assembly pushes hotel prices up late in the month.

United States · 23°C (73°F) · 1 rainy days

San Francisco

Cable cars, steep hills and the Golden Gate Bridge in summer fog. Often the warmest, clearest month as the fog retreats; large conventions can push hotel prices very high.

Canada · 21°C (70°F) · 9 rainy days

Toronto

Lakefront towers, global food neighbourhoods and Niagara Falls within reach. Warm days and cooler nights, with peak hotel prices during the film festival in the first half of the month.

Canada · 19°C (66°F) · 7 rainy days

Vancouver

Seawall walks, mountains across the harbour and Pacific seafood. Often settled and sunny early in the month, with cooler evenings and thinner crowds after Labour Day.

United States · 31°C (88°F) · 4 rainy days

Maui

Haleakalā sunrise, the Road to Hāna and winter humpback whales. Warm sea and empty beaches after the summer holidays; among the best-value months.

Canada · 18°C (64°F) · 8 rainy days

Calgary

Stampede city on the Bow River, an hour from the Rocky Mountains. Crisp, sunny and settled; golden aspens and larches turn in the nearby mountains.

United States · 26°C (79°F) · 9 rainy days

Philadelphia

Independence Hall, Rocky Steps, cheesesteaks and walkable colonial streets. Warm, drier and often sunny; one of the best months for walking the city.

United States · 27°C (81°F) · 5 rainy days

Salt Lake City

Temple Square, mountain canyons and powder skiing 40 minutes from downtown. Warm days and cooler nights; canyon aspens begin to turn late in the month.

United States · 25°C (77°F) · 1 rainy days

San Diego

Year-round mild beaches, Balboa Park's museums and Baja-style tacos. Often the warmest, clearest month at the coast, with summer crowds gone after Labor Day; occasional hot inland winds.

Canada · 16°C (61°F) · 11 rainy days

Banff

Turquoise lakes, hot springs and a mountain town inside a national park. Crisp, clearer days; larches turn gold on the high trails, usually in the second half of the month.

United States · 25°C (77°F) · 6 rainy days

Denver

Mile-high city of craft beer, museums and Rocky Mountain day trips. Often the best month: warm, dry and clear, with golden aspens in the mountains from mid-month.

United States · 28°C (82°F) · 8 rainy days

Nashville

Honky-tonks, the Ryman and Grand Ole Opry, and fiery hot chicken. Warm, drier and pleasant, with football season starting.

United States · 25°C (77°F) · 6 rainy days

Portland

Food carts, gardens, bookshops and the Columbia Gorge on the doorstep. Often the best month: warm, dry days, harvest season in the Willamette Valley and fewer crowds.

Canada · 18°C (64°F) · 14 rainy days

Quebec City

A walled French-speaking old town on a cliff above the St. Lawrence. Settled and mild early on; foliage begins to turn on the surrounding hills late in the month.

United States · 22°C (72°F) · 7 rainy days

Seattle

Pike Place Market, Puget Sound ferries and mountain views on clear days. Often a lovely month, dry and mild, with summer crowds thinning after Labor Day.

United States · 31°C (88°F) · 4 rainy days

Sedona

Red-rock buttes, canyon trails, creekside swims and dark desert skies. Warm days and fading storms; crowds return as temperatures fall.

Beach, city or budget: September picks by trip type

What's on in September

Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.

• Honolulu: Aloha Festivals — floral parade and Waikīkī block party (usually September)
• Los Angeles: Abbot Kinney Festival in Venice (usually late September)
• Montreal: Gardens of Light at the Botanical Garden (usually September–October)
• Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress National Book Festival (usually late summer or early autumn)
• Boston: Student move-in weekend around 1 September, when streets fill with moving vans
• Chicago: Chicago Jazz Festival — free, in Millennium Park (usually around Labor Day weekend)
• New York City: Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy (usually mid-September)
• San Francisco: Large conventions at Moscone Center can raise hotel rates sharply (often September and October)
• Toronto: Toronto International Film Festival (usually early to mid-September)
• Vancouver: Vancouver Fringe Festival (usually September)
• Maui: Aloha Festivals events across the islands (usually September)
• Calgary: Calgary International Film Festival (usually late September)

Daylight in September

Day length on these trips ranges from about 12.2 hours in Maui to 12.5 hours in Montreal (sunrise to sunset on 15 September). Longer days mean more sightseeing time; shorter ones favour museums, food and evenings.

September weather compared

Questions travellers ask