When it comes to fall colors, Illinois stretches the season longer than most states, with colors starting in northern Illinois in late September and peaking in the south well into November.

Each year, websites like SmokyMountains.com publish a fall foliage prediction map that shows stages such as patchy, partial, near-peak, peak, and past-peak across the country. While the map is focused primarily on the eastern U.S. and regions like the Smoky Mountains, it also provides a helpful nationwide context and visual timeline for seasonal leaf change.

Here’s what the fall color timeline looks like across Illinois.

Northern Illinois: Late September to mid-October

If you live near Chicago, Rockford, or the Galena area, you’ll see the first hints of color before the rest of the state. Leaves in

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