September to October. Month by month below, with the weather, what's on and what it costs to fly there from your city.
Fall, especially late September through October, is the most common answer for leaf color. One guide also likes mid-May to early June.
4 of the 8 travel guides we read name these months.
Average high and low in Charleston, and days with rain
JanuaryChecking fares…Winter lows can reach as low as 18°F; skiers and snowboarders visit but many attractions are closed.
FebruaryChecking fares…Winters are popular for skiing and snowboarding; Elkins area has some of the state's best skiing.
MarchChecking fares…Charleston highs near 56°F, lows 37°F, about 10 rainy days; snow melts at the end of March.
AprilChecking fares…Charleston highs near 67°F and lows 47°F; spring is the least popular season, good for beating crowds.
MayChecking fares…Flooding is the main weather concern in May and June; first thunderstorms likely in May.In the first half of May seasonal activities were just starting to open up.Mid-May through early June is a recommended late-spring window for fewer crowds and less humidity.
JuneChecking fares…Charleston highs near 81°F; summer is busy and good for water activities and festivals.
JulyChecking fares…Hottest month, with records up to 87-95°F; thunderstorms are common.July and August are the busiest travel months, with muggy weather.
AugustChecking fares…Summers are hot and can get quite humid in some parts; summer is a busy tourism season.Perseid meteor shower at Cherry Springs
Best timeSeptemberChecking fares…Early fall from mid-September is a recommended window to avoid crowds and humidity.Last week of September to first week of October is often peak color in Davis and Canaan Valley.
Best timeOctoberChecking fares…Peak color moves south: Seneca Rocks and Elkins peak mid to late October; Dolly Sods near peak at the start of the month.By the end of October, higher elevations have lost their leaves, but valley floors stay colourful and parks hold Halloween events.The Leaf Peepers Festival in Davis is timed to the peak turn.
NovemberChecking fares…Cools sharply, with Charleston highs around 56°F; frost is possible at night.
DecemberChecking fares…Winter is popular with skiers, but little else is open for outdoor activity as many attractions close.Weather: Charleston averages (1991 to 2020 averages), as listed in its climate table on Wikipedia.
Live fares from your airport. Watch them and we alert you when they drop.
Festivals and seasons through the year
Cancún
The Grand Canyon
Disneyland
Miami
Myrtle Beach
Prague
Bali
Maui
Montreal
Venice
Aruba
New Orleans
Nashville
Disney World
New York
Rome
San Diego
Phuket
Boston
Dubai
Seoul
Florida
Lisbon
Los Angeles
Chicago
Paris
Las Vegas
San Francisco
Edinburgh
Napa
Sydney
Hawaii
Scotland
Punta Cana
Savannah
Washington, DC
Mexico City
Zion National Park
Turks and Caicos
Puerto Vallarta
Honolulu
Banff
Yosemite
Tulum
The Bahamas
Sedona
Seattle
Santorini
Buenos Aires
London
Charleston
Rio de Janeiro
Palm Springs
Yellowstone
Amsterdam
Toronto
Key West
Orlando
Europe
Austin
Machu Picchu
Cabo San Lucas
Niagara Falls
Colorado
Oregon
Arizona
Acadia National Park
Galapagos
Lake Tahoe
Montana
Kauai
Okinawa
US Virgin Islands
Amalfi Coast
Santa Fe
Destin
Curacao
Utah
Joshua Tree
Patagonia
St. Thomas
Florida Keys
Smoky Mountains
Copenhagen
Death Valley
Mallorca
Madeira
Cape Town
Ibiza
Zanzibar
Lake Como
Madrid
New Mexico
Tennessee
Vermont
Wyoming
Bryce Canyon
Oahu
St. Martin
Hilton Head
Dolomites
Cape Cod
San Antonio
Rocky Mountain National Park
Dublin
Catalina Island
Athens
Asheville
Texas
South America
Shenandoah National Park
Phoenix
North Carolina
Medellín
Cairo
Budapest
Arches National Park
St. John
South Carolina
Reykjavik
Mykonos
Milan
Houston
Hanoi
Canary Islands
Big Island of Hawaii
Atlanta
The Caribbean
St. Barts
South Dakota
Rhode Island
New England
Nassau
Lima
Kyoto
Koh Samui
Colorado Springs
Chiang Mai
Stockholm
Porto
Montego Bay
Michigan
Melbourne
Louisiana
Kuala Lumpur
Kruger National Park
Jeju
Florence
Dallas
Zurich
Tampa
St. Kitts
Osaka
Munich
Moorea
Kailua-Kona
Everglades
Door County
Cusco
Calgary
Boracay
Bonaire
Swiss Alps
St. Croix
Seville
San Juan Islands
New Hampshire
Minnesota
Mazatlán
Manila
Kentucky
Isla Mujeres
Guam
French Riviera
Fort Lauderdale
Cinque Terre
Asia
Algarve
Virginia
Tenerife
Sapporo
Nairobi
Mumbai
The Hamptons
Grand Teton National Park
Finger Lakes
Charlotte
Bogotá
Auckland
Maine
Bora Bora
Olympic National Park
Redwood National Park
Sequoia National Park
Big Bend National Park
Mackinac Island
Sint Maarten
Nantucket
Outer Banks
California
Big Sur
Crater Lake
Scottsdale
Nice
Mount Rainier
Cozumel
Badlands National Park
Salt Lake City
Denali
Philadelphia
Tucson
Provence
Guadalajara
Albuquerque
Upper Peninsula
Sonoma
Memphis
Idaho
Da Nang
Cotswolds
Arkansas
St. Louis
Capri
Glacier National Park
Barcelona
Vancouver
Denver
Istanbul
Riviera Maya
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Santiago, Chile
Naples, Italy
Central America
Minneapolis
Sarasota
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Pittsburgh
Helsinki
Pensacola
Johannesburg
Brisbane
Málaga
Phu Quoc
Perth
Dubrovnik
Corpus Christi
Massachusetts
Oklahoma
Torres del Paine
Czech Republic
Ho Chi Minh City
Anchorage
Boise
Louisville
Juneau
Quito
Wisconsin
Canyonlands National Park
Baja California
Blue Ridge Mountains
Fort Myers
Detroit
Kansas City, Missouri
Kathmandu
Reno
Cebu
Brussels
Guangzhou
Chattanooga
Antalya
Daytona Beach
Cairns
Hilo
Alabama
Connecticut
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Capitol Reef National Park