Season guide · New York City · United States
New York City in autumn
September–November: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Sam Valadi, Public domain
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Quick answer
Warm September days, crisp October weather and autumn colour in Central Park, with high hotel prices around the UN General Assembly and Thanksgiving. Expect highs up to 25°C (77°F) and lows around 5°C (41°F), with about 28 rainy days across September–November. September–October are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- September–November
- Temperatures
- 5°C (41°F) to 25°C (77°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 28
- Sea
- 12°C (54°F) to 21°C (70°F)
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- Highest
Weather in autumn
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 25°C (77°F) | 17°C (63°F) | 9 | 12.4 h | 4/5 |
| October | 18°C (64°F) | 11°C (52°F) | 10 | 11 h | 4/5 |
| November | 12°C (54°F) | 5°C (41°F) | 9 | 9.8 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 18°C (64°F) against a yearly 17°C (63°F), and 28 of the year's roughly 124 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 5/5 on average.
What's on in autumn
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- September: Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy (usually mid-September)
- September: UN General Assembly high-level week (usually late September; heavy traffic and high hotel prices)
- October: Open House New York weekend (usually mid-October)
- October: Village Halloween Parade on Sixth Avenue (31 October)
- November: New York City Marathon (usually the first Sunday of November)
- November: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (fourth Thursday of November)
- November: Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting (usually late November or early December)
Good choices for autumn
Architecture · Midtown
Grand Central Terminal
Completed in 1913, Grand Central's Beaux-Arts Main Concourse has a turquoise ceiling painted with constellations, a four-faced clock above the information booth and huge arched windows.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
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Gallery · Upper East Side
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Look up from the centre of the rotunda before you start, then walk the full spiral to see the building and exhibitions together.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Market · Chelsea
Chelsea Market
Inside the former Nabisco factory, where the Oreo cookie was developed, Chelsea Market's brick-walled corridor is lined with food stalls, bakeries and shops selling tacos, lobster rolls, dumplings and doughnuts.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Rainy day
- Shopping
Museum · Fort Tryon Park
The Met Cloisters
Use the same-day Met ticket, take the A train to 190th Street and walk up through Fort Tryon Park.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Views
Museum · Lower East Side
Tenement Museum
Guided tours through restored apartments on Orchard Street tell the stories of real immigrant families — Irish, German, Italian, Jewish, Chinese and Puerto Rican among them — who lived in these tenements from the 1860s into the late 20th century.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Day trips in autumn
- Philadelphia (About 1 hour 15 minutes by train) — America's first capital holds Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, the city's art museum with its 'Rocky Steps', and Reading Terminal Market, where you can try a cheesesteak.
- Washington, D.C. (About 3 hours by train) — A long but doable day: the National Mall's monuments and the free Smithsonian museums, including the National Air and Space Museum, are within walking distance of Union Station.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is autumn a good time to visit New York City?
Yes: September–October are among the best months. Warm September days, crisp October weather and autumn colour in Central Park, with high hotel prices around the UN General Assembly and Thanksgiving.
+What is the weather like in New York City in autumn?
Highs of up to 25°C (77°F) and lows around 5°C (41°F), with about 28 rainy days over the season.