When is the best time to visit DC for fall color viewing? Thanks!

Oh, yes, the fall colors of DC! Take my word for it - that's one thing DC doesn't have! The weather there is rather nice however, and it's a good time to be out on the Mall and seeing the outside memorials. When we lived there in the early 1990s, it was a terrific time and lots of tourists came. Now that we're in the SW US area, I get nostalgic about dear old DC.

x does not know what he is talking about. The Washington Dc area has lots of trees and there are fall colors, just not as nice as New England. The colors are great in the mountains west of town.

I wouldgive the fall colors in Dc a 7 1-10 scale. The peak is around November 1st.

This year the trees are losing their leaves early due to the bad drought.

Wonderful, Les, LOL, you suggest I (she, not he, BTW) am misinformed - and then you offer a rather doubtful picture yourself. Friends in DC tell us fall color is on hold again this year. But that's hardly the reason one comes to DC anyway - so come ahead.

It is now October 30th and there is still very little change in leaf color in the city. I'm afraid the earlier mentioned drought and now constant, cold rain is going to "dampen" this year's color.

Today it's rainy and cold in the nation's capitol. I'm about 20 miles east of DC and the leaves here are just starting to peak; they are much prettier than I expected with our drought conditions, but I wouldn't come here unless you were planning on heading to the Shenandoah Mountains for a daytrip. I'm originally from Pittsburgh, and Pennsylvania has much prettier falls than this area.

I am looking out my window in DC and see all sort of beautiful colors on the trees, although I think the peak is happening now.

While there are few trees on the Mall, a trip through Rock Creek Park or down the George Washington Parkway would demonstrate DC is a beatiful place to see the colors. Fall is the most beautiful season of the year here.

I agree with Mike ... driving in this morning I noticed that the trees were beautiful, especially against the drab, gray sky. In spite of the dire predictions for the drought, I think the trees that have turned are more beautiful this year. The reds and golds are spectacular. I would say peak is this weekend and early next week.

I've lived in DC for about 12 years and think the fall colors are just beautiful here (especially compared to where I came from), it's my favorite season. I don't understand the folks who say the colors aren't good here. I live in Maryland and there are beautiful trees just around my neighborhood, but I drive to work on the beltway around to Virginia and there are lots of wooded areas along that route that are also beautiful. My office building is across from a wooded area that is gorgeous. I can't imagine what x above is talking about, it's all beautiful in the fall here even though some years are slightly different, of course.

Here is a good article on the Post's web site that describes some of the best places for viewing, such as Rock Creek Park, GW Parkway, the National Arboretum and Roosevelt Island.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/longterm/outdoors/fall/fall.htm

I'm not sure about peaks, but I sort of agree it's probably about right now -- by end of November, leaves are mostly gone.

The DC area use to have lots of beautiful trees but since the advent of smart growth, most have been cut down due to small lots big homes planning. Millions of trees have been cut down in the greater DC area in the last 10 years due to development.

Sorry no fall colors no trees.

Yes, many, many trees have been felled for development in this area. But that doesn't mean the ones that remain aren't beautiful. I live on a one-acre forested lot between Falls Church and Fairfax and the colors in my yard and our neighborhood are glorious just now. As are the trees surrounding parts of the Beltway, much of the George Washington and Mount Vernon Parkways, and Rock Creek downtown. Despite recent development, Washington is still one of the greenest U.S. cities I know.