DaysUntil
fall

How Many Days Until Fall?

Next Fall: Thursday, September 23, 2027. The live clock below uses your timezone, including year rollover after the local day ends.

—days
—hrs
—min
—sec

Counting in your browser timezone…

Fall arrives with the September equinox, when the sun crosses the celestial equator heading south and day and night are nearly equal. The date is September 22 or 23, and this countdown uses the US Eastern calendar date, then rolls forward once that day ends where you are. Americans call the season fall, an old English word for the fall of the leaf, while much of the world says autumn. Pumpkin spice menus and football kickoffs usually show up long before the equinox does, and by the time you read this the date may already be behind you, in which case the clock is counting to next year.

FAQ

When is the first day of fall?
The astronomical first day of fall is the September equinox — next on Thursday, September 23, 2027, then Friday, September 22, 2028. It lands on the 22nd or 23rd. The countdown ends after that date finishes in your timezone, then aims at the following year's equinox.
Fall or autumn — which is correct?
Both are correct. Autumn came into English from Latin by way of French, while fall is the older, plainer word that survived in American speech and dropped out of British use. This page uses fall because that is how most US searchers phrase it, and the date is identical either way.
Why do meteorologists start fall on September 1?
Weather agencies use whole months so seasonal averages compare cleanly from year to year: fall is September through November. The equinox moves by a day or so, which makes it awkward for record keeping. If you are planning around cooler weather or school starts, the meteorological date often feels closer to real life. Many districts open in August, so the equinox arrives weeks into the school year rather than before it.
Are days shorter after the equinox?
Yes. From this date until the December solstice, the Northern Hemisphere loses a few minutes of daylight every day, and the loss is fastest around the equinox itself. Sunsets come earlier, which is why the clock change in early November lands during the darkest stretch of the commute.
When does peak fall color happen?
Leaf color follows temperature, rainfall and latitude rather than the equinox. New England and the northern Rockies can peak in late September or early October, while the Southeast and much of the Midwest peak late October into November. The equinox is a calendar marker, not a foliage forecast. If you are planning a leaf-peeping trip, watch regional foliage reports a few weeks ahead and book flexible dates, because a warm September can push the peak back by a week or more.

Related countdowns