Philadelphia weather in October

October in Philadelphia: nice, a little rain, with clean air — one of the best months to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Philadelphia🇺🇸 United States · Northeast & Atlantic Canada · City85
  1. 53Jan
  2. 60Feb
  3. 69Mar
  4. 82Apr
  5. 91May
  6. 79Jun
  7. 65Jul
  8. 72Aug
  9. 81Sep
  10. 85Oct
  11. 71Nov
  12. 56Dec

#2 of 12 months in Philadelphia · #340 of 1413 destinations to visit in October · comfort 85/100 (tier A)

Days
21°C
Nights
12°C
Wet days
7
Sun
7.5 h
Humidity
71%
Daylight
11 h
Philadelphia, United States
Photo: K · Pexels

Traveller notes on Philadelphia in October

Philadelphia's October threads treat the month as one of the year's best and one of its least predictable — an average high near 20°C easing to about 12 at night, but posters report having seen everything from 33°C to snow within the same month. The advice is consistent: layer, bring a fleece and a rain jacket, skip the heavy coat. On foliage, mid-to-late October is the window and the last week the most reliable, with the usual caveat that leaves don't run to a schedule.
Tripadvisor community · October · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in Philadelphia

Regulars call this warm and humid, high 80s Fahrenheit with humidity to match, and are candid that an occasional heat wave can push several consecutive days into the high 90s or even past 100. Our row backs the intense heat, 31C reading as a hot 33C at 72 percent humidity, over 21.5C nights, with 114.4mm of rain across 8.7 days. Regulars point out a real practical upside for a hot-weather visit here specifically: the historic core and Center City are compact enough that a heat-avoidant visitor doesn't need long open-air walks between major sights the way a more spread-out city would demand. Crowds are also noted as lighter than June or July despite the summer heat. The record: 10.3 hours of sun, a 13.7 kph wind and AQI 60.
CompactCityShortWalksBetweenSights · August · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Regulars describe summer here as warm and humid with highs in the high eighties Fahrenheit and humidity to match, occasionally spiking into a run of consecutive days near the high nineties - June is the gentler end of that stretch before July and August intensify it. Our row gives 29.3C reading as 31C at 68.4 percent humidity, over 19.2C nights, with 94.4mm of rain across 7.3 days. Their consolation on the storms is practical: when they hit, they rarely last more than an hour, so waiting one out under cover is usually enough. June and July are also the crowded months here, ahead of the late-summer lull. The record: 11.4 hours of sun, a 15.7 kph wind and AQI 67.
HighEightiesAndTheHumidityToMatch · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
September is mild here by local standards, which regulars measure against a summer of high-eighties heat and heavy humidity rather than against anything else - autumn is the season they recommend for walking the historic centre and the parks. Our row still reads warm: 27.3C by day feeling 28C at 72 percent humidity, over 17.9C nights. The rain is worth planning around, 100.9mm across 7.2 days, so fourteen millimetres a time - storms that pass rather than days that are lost. Sun is modest at 8.6 hours inside 12.4 of daylight, so the long evenings of June have gone. The record: a dew point of 14.9C, a 14.6 kph wind and AQI 45.
MildAfterTheHighEighties · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Philadelphia-forum packing threads for May land on the same list every time: long and short sleeves both, a sweater or light jacket for cool mornings, comfortable shoes for the cobblestones in Old City, and a small umbrella for showers that arrive without much warning. The advice to pack layers rather than trust one forecast matches the record's spread: 24C days but 13.9C nights, and 101mm of rain across ten days - a genuinely wet month, not just an occasional shower. 9.4 hours of sun and 70 percent humidity round out a month that swings from a warm afternoon to a cool, damp evening inside the same day.
OldCityCobblestones · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Year-round notes are on Philadelphia's overview. Add your own note from Philadelphia's card on the map.

Philadelphia climate normals — October

Daytime high21°C / 70°F😎 nice
Nighttime low12°C / 54°F
Feels like (high)19°C / 66°F
Rainfall80 mm / 3.1 in🌦 some rain
Rainy days7 days
Humidity71%💧 humid
Dew point9°C / 49°F
Sunshine7.5 h/day
Daylight11.1 h
Wind16 km/h / 10 mph
Air quality (US AQI)42🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Philadelphia in October

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

Busyone of its best months for weather(estimated)

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Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Philadelphia's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Best weatherPhiladelphia's best weather comes in April, May and October — separate windows, not one continuous season.

October includes Fall colour.

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Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Philadelphia in October

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Rule

    Independence Hall timed tickets

    1 Mar – 31 DecBook early

    Entry to the hall is by timed ticket for most of the year, released a month ahead and gone within hours for spring and summer weekends. A small block is held back for same-day pickup. Source ↗

  • Nature

    Fall colour

    18 Oct – 12 Nov · usuallyAutumn colour

    The Wissahickon gorge and Fairmount Park turn from the third week of October into early November, and the city has more park inside its limits than most places have outside them.

What's on around the world in October →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Philadelphia — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Philadelphia?

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Philadelphia in October — FAQ

Is October a good time to visit Philadelphia?
October in Philadelphia: nice, a little rain, with clean air — one of the best months to visit. It ranks #2 of 12 months for Philadelphia on SeasonMap's comfort score (85/100).
What is the weather like in Philadelphia in October?
In October, Philadelphia averages a daily high of 20.9°C and a low of 12°C, with about 79.7 mm of rain over roughly 6.8 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Philadelphia in October?
Philadelphia has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 42 in October.

Within 300 km: New York's Fall colour around 20 Oct – 15 Nov, and Washington's Fall colour around 20 Oct – 15 Nov.