Boston · Month comparison

April vs October

October ranks #1 overall vs April at #3. Fall foliage peak (Oct 10-25) plus Salem Halloween Month — Boston's most photographed weeks.

Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street

April

#3 of 12 months

Best match

Patriots' Day weekend — Boston Marathon (third Mon), Red Sox at Fenway, spring tulips on Comm Ave.

  • Boston Marathon — Patriots' Day, third Mon in April, the world's oldest marathon
  • Red Sox opening week at Fenway Park — full bleacher culture
October foliage on Boston Public Garden

October

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Fall foliage peak (Oct 10-25) plus Salem Halloween Month — Boston's most photographed weeks.

  • Foliage on Comm Ave, Public Garden and the Common at world-class peak
  • Salem (30 min north) Haunted Happenings runs all month
FactorAprilOctober
Weather score
7
10
Value score
6
4
Crowd score
6
4
Events score
10
10
Atmosphere
10
10
Avg high temp14°C17°C
Monthly rain90mm110mm
Daily sunshine8hrs7hrs

April trade-offs

  • Marathon weekend hotels triple; book by November or stay outside the city
  • Weather unpredictable — can be 22°C and sunny or 5°C and sleeting

October trade-offs

  • Salem and foliage day-tripper traffic clogs every northbound road
  • Hotel rates spike for Head of the Charles weekend
  • 110mm rain — wettest autumn month
Scores compare months within Boston. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →