Just like the autumn leaves, the US changes its colors when September rolls around. In general, summer crowds vanish, hotel rates drop, and the weather gets cooler. And there's still a lot to do.
Depending on where you go, you might catch the last stretch of summer or you might get the first taste of fall air. And as tourism decreases, you’ll be able to get an authentic view of how locals live through regional cuisine and exciting events.
From cities with personality to nature-heavy towns, this list will take you through some of the best places to visit in September in the US.
Related: Where to travel in Europe in September
Quick Links
Jump to any of these places to visit in September, or skip ahead to the FAQs.
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Aspen, Colorado
- Savannah, Georgia
- Seattle, Washington
- Sedona, Arizona
- Mackinac Island, Michigan
- Lexington, Kentucky
- Napa Valley, California
- Burlington, Vermont
- Juneau, Alaska
- St. Petersburg, Florida
- Santa Barbara, California
- Door County, Wisconsin
- FAQs
13 Best Places to Visit in September in the US
1. Boston, Massachusetts (Mild)
Average temperature: 59°F - 73°F
September is Boston's month, full stop. College students flood back in, the Red Sox play out their last home games at Fenway, and August humidity packs its bags. It's one of the best US cities to visit in September purely because you can walk it without melting.
Do the Freedom Trail on a weekday morning to see 16 historic sites over the course of 2.5 miles. Catch the Boston Arts Festival on the waterfront early in the month. Then take advantage of the final days of patio season in the North End for al fresco pasta or oysters by the harbor.
Where To Stay: Located on the Freedom Trail, the Omni Parker House is the oldest continuously running hotel in the country and the birthplace of the Boston cream pie.
2. Aspen, Colorado (Cool)
Average temperature: 40°F - 71°F
The trees Aspen is named for go gold in September, and the hillsides provide a lot of open space to unplug before the ski season crowds arrive. Trails are empty, roads are wide open, and same-day dinner reservations are easy to come by. Bring layers, because afternoons are crisp and nights drop below freezing.
Drive Independence Pass or Castle Creek Road for the color. Or plan around the Snowmass Balloon Festival, September 25 to 27, when 30+ hot air balloons go up at sunrise over Town Park. Aspen Filmfest runs the same month.
Where To Stay: The Little Nell sits at the base of Aspen Mountain right in Downtown.
3. Savannah, Georgia (Warm)
Average temperature: 55°F - 80°F
Without the oppressive southern heat, Savannah graces visitors with welcoming outdoor weather that’s ideal for walking all 22 historic squares. Those squares come from the city's original 1733 layout, a repeating grid of shaded public parks, colonial-era homes, live oaks, and Spanish moss.
Soak up the free shows of the Savannah Jazz Festival in Forsyth Park from September 18 to 20 or get a head start on spooky season with a famous Savannah ghost tour. Want to see dolphins or take a quick dip? Tybee Island is 20 minutes out.
Where To Stay: Open since 1851, the Marshall House sits on Broughton Street within walking distance of the squares and the Savannah River, and it comes with a haunted reputation locals will happily tell you about.
4. Seattle, Washington (Mild)
Average temperature: 54°F - 70°F
Seattle earns its rainy reputation nine months a year, but September isn't one of them. This is the tail end of the driest stretch on the calendar, when Mt. Rainier is easy to see on the horizon, which makes it a top city to visit in the US in September.
Bumbershoot hits Seattle Center over Labor Day weekend, September 5 and 6. Now in its 53rd year, it still mixes big headliners with local bands and art installations.
Ride the ferry to Bainbridge Island for the best skyline view in the city, or spend a morning in Pike Place Market working through the produce stalls, the fishmongers, and the original 1907 arcade.
Where To Stay: The Edgewater Hotel is the only place in the city built out over the water, with rooms facing Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains beyond it.
5. Sedona, Arizona (Hot & Scenic)
Average temperature: 70°F - 95°F
Once the heat breaks in September, Sedona becomes a hospitable destination.
During the day, visit Cathedral Rock and Devil's Bridge or take a scenic Jeep tour through the backcountry. And don’t forget the peculiar spots: energy vortexes, crystal shops, the Chapel of the Holy Cross. At night, treat yourself to a once-in-a-lifetime stargazing experience under Sedona's certified dark skies.
Fill up on prix-fixe menus of locally-sourced cuisine all over town during Restaurant Week Sedona that happens in the middle of the month.
Where To Stay: L'Auberge de Sedona puts you in a cabin right on Oak Creek with a creekside spa and red rock views.
6. Mackinac Island, Michigan (Cool)
Average temperature: 50°F - 68°F
Cars have been banned on Mackinac Island since 1898. Everything moves by bike, horse, or foot, and after Labor Day you get the place close to empty. No ferry lines, no crowds on Main Street, and the eight-mile shoreline loop is yours to ride however slowly you want.
Every September since 1958, the Mackinac Bridge Walk closes the bridge to traffic on Labor Day itself, letting you cross five miles on foot between Michigan's two peninsulas.
All that walking earns you a treat, and on Mackinac that means fudge, which shops here have been making on marble slabs since the 1880s.
Where To Stay: The Hamilton Inn Select Beachfront sits right on the beach in Mackinaw City, a short walk from the ferries over to the island.
7. Lexington, Kentucky (Mild)
Average temperature: 58°F - 78°F
September is the biggest month of the year in Lexington's horse country. The Keeneland September Yearling Sale runs through the latter half of the month, and you can walk in free to watch the world's largest thoroughbred auction.
Farm tours run all month if you'd rather meet the horses than watch them sold. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail cuts right through the region, and Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill has 3,000 acres of trails plus a preserved 19th-century community when you want everything to slow down.
Where To Stay: 21c Museum Hotel is a working contemporary art museum you sleep inside. Galleries stay open late, and the bourbon bars are a walk away.
8. Napa Valley, California (Warm)
Average temperature: 52°F - 83°F
Napa Valley is one of the best places to visit in California, especially in September.
This month marks crush season, the few weeks a year when the grapes come off the vine and the whole valley smells like ripe fruit and new wine.
Crush pads open up, and tastings turn into watching people actually work instead of sitting through a polished presentation.
Hot days and cold nights are what give Napa cabernet its backbone, so bring a jacket for evening pours. Rent a bike along the Silverado Trail without having to worry about driving, or spend an afternoon eating through Oxbow Public Market downtown.
Where To Stay: Up in Calistoga at the top of the valley, the Mount View Hotel & Spa puts you on a main street of tasting rooms, with a spa known for the mud baths and mineral soaks the town has been built around since the 1860s.
9. Burlington, Vermont (Cool)
Average temperature: 52°F - 68°F
Burlington's maples start turning by mid-September, putting you into New England's fall foliage season about two weeks early.
Take a sunset cruise on Lake Champlain while it's still pleasant on deck. Pick McIntosh and Honeycrisp at the orchards outside town. Catch the South End Art Hop, a September weekend when local studios throw their doors open. The food is hyper-local: Vermont cheddar, maple in dishes that don't need it, cider by the glass.
Where To Stay: Hotel Vermont sits on the waterfront a block off Church Street, and it's worth asking for a lake-facing room.
10. Juneau, Alaska (Cool)
Average temperature: 55°F - 75°F
Mendenhall Glacier sits 12 miles from downtown Juneau, with trails running along its face and a lake you can kayak for a closer look at the ice.
Humpbacks are still moving through most of the month before they head south, and bear sightings run high on guided trips as the salmon runs wind down. Ride the Mount Roberts Tramway for the big view, or book a flightseeing tour over the icefield (if the weather cooperates).
Where To Stay: Baranof Downtown has held down the city center since 1939 and is still the most central base in town, a short walk from the tram, the water, and the capitol.
11. St. Petersburg, Florida (Hot)
Average temperature: 75°F - 89°F
The Gulf holds mid-80s water temperatures through September, and in St. Petersburg it's easy to find your own spot on the sand.
For art, the Dalí Museum holds the biggest collection of his work outside Europe, and downtown's murals and indie galleries are all walkable from it. For nature, wander the century-old Sunken Gardens and its resident flamingos, or paddle the mangrove tunnels at Weedon Island Preserve.
Where To Stay: The Birchwood looks out over Beach Drive and Straub Park, which puts the waterfront, the museums, and most of downtown's restaurants a couple of blocks away.
12. Santa Barbara, California (Mild)
Average temperature: 58°F - 77°F
Santa Barbara skies are clearest in September, once the marine layer that sits over the coast all summer finally burns off. Locals call it the "real summer."
Walk the rose garden across from the old Mission, then drive up to the Riviera for views over red-tile roofs to the Channel Islands. The Funk Zone and Lower State pack tasting rooms, galleries, and surf shops into a few blocks. Typical eats include local seafood, wood-fired pizza, and natural wine.
Where To Stay: Hotel Santa Barbara sits downtown on State Street, a few blocks from both the beach and the Funk Zone.
13. Door County, Wisconsin (Mild)
Average temperature: 52°F - 70°F
Door County is a skinny peninsula between Green Bay and Lake Michigan, holding 300 miles of shoreline, five state parks, and 11 lighthouses, more than any other county in the country.
Cherry and apple orchards open for picking in September. On the 19th, the 2026 Harvest Fest takes over downtown Sturgeon Bay with growers, food, live music, and a street art auction.
Book a fish boil while you're up here. Whitefish and potatoes cook in a kettle over an open fire, and at the end the boilmaster throws kerosene on the flames so the pot boils over and carries the fish oil off the top. It's dinner and a show.
Where to Stay: Newport Resort in Egg Harbor sits on the bay side of the peninsula, with indoor and outdoor pools and the water a short walk away.
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FAQs: Best Places to Visit in September - USA Destinations
Where to go in September in the US?
It depends on the trip you want. Boston, Seattle, and Lexington bring city energy and packed event calendars, while Mackinac Island, Door County, and Aspen are quiet and outdoorsy. For warm water and late-summer weather, head to St. Petersburg, Savannah, or Santa Barbara.
Where in the US does it snow in September?
Snowfall can be rare in September. The high peaks around Aspen can get a dusting above tree line late in the month, and interior Alaska sometimes sees an early flurry.
What US cities are warm in September?
Savannah, St. Petersburg, and Sedona all stay warm deep into the month, with highs in the 80s. Santa Barbara and Napa run cooler but still get plenty of sun.
What are the most affordable places to travel in September in the US?
Small towns beat big cities this time of year. Door County, Lexington, and Juneau all come in cheaper than Boston, Seattle, or Santa Barbara, and shoulder-season rates make every one of them a better deal than they'd be in July.
Is Labor Day a good time to travel?
The holiday weekend is full of exciting events, but keep in mind that crowds and rates are still higher, especially anywhere near water. If you push your trip a few days past the holiday, everything drops.