Best Time to Visit First State National Historical Park
AprilBest month to visit
Find places to stay →Our recommendation
Visit First State in April
April offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight. For comparison, October is the most crowded month (~2.4× the average month) and January is the quietest.
Annual visits
200K
2025
Busiest month
Oct
2.4× avg
Quietest month
Jan
0.4× avg
10-yr trend
steady
—
More photos of First State
Photos courtesy of the National Park Service (public domain).
How crowded is First State by month?
Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 2023–2025.
Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Very quiet | 78 Excellent | 9.5 h |
| February | Very quiet | 81 Excellent | 10.5 h |
| March | Quiet | 79 Excellent | 11.7 h |
| April★ best | Quiet | 82 Excellent | 13.1 h |
| May | Average | 66 Good | 14.2 h |
| June | Very busy | 50 Fair | 14.8 h |
| July | Very busy | 42 Poor | 14.6 h |
| August | Average | 66 Good | 13.6 h |
| September | Average | 68 Good | 12.2 h |
| October | Very busy | 10 Poor | 10.9 h |
| November | Quiet | 67 Good | 9.8 h |
| December | Very quiet | 76 Excellent | 9.2 h |
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About visiting First State
First State National Historical Park is a National Historical Park in DE, PA and a relatively quiet park, drawing about 200,000 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has held fairly steady over the past decade. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: October is the busiest month at about 2.4× the park's average month, while January is the calmest at roughly 0.4× — a 7-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 39% of the year's visitors arrive in the three summer months of June, July and August alone, so timing a trip outside that window is the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels. If avoiding people matters most, January offers the thinnest crowds of the year, though you'll trade some warmth and daylight for the solitude. Daylight ranges from about 9.2 hours in midwinter to 14.8 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. These crowd figures are drawn from 2023–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, and are updated as new monthly data is released.
Park overview
Famous as the First State to ratify the Constitution, Delaware was born out of a conflict among three world powers for dominance of the Delaware Valley. From this beginning, the region developed a distinct character that tolerated diversity in religion and national origin and valued independence.
Weather & conditions
For details and information, visit, http://www.nps.gov/frst/index.htm.
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near First State
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near First State National Historical Park — live availability and prices to plan your trip. April is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather.
Top-rated places to stay near First State
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Getting to First State
The nearest airport is Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), about 19 mi (36 min drive) away. Most visitors reach First State by car.
Frequently Asked Questions
April offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight at First State National Historical Park. The park is busiest in October (about 2.4× the average month) and quietest in January.
October is the busiest month at First State National Historical Park, running roughly 2.4 times the park's average monthly visitation.
January is the quietest month at First State National Historical Park, at about 0.4× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
First State National Historical Park recorded about 200,173 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been steady over the past decade.
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is the closest airport to First State National Historical Park, about 19 mi (36 min drive) away.
Nearby parks to visit
Keep exploring
Beach water quality near First State
Beaches within a 40-mile drive, graded on multi-year bacteria sampling from EPA BEACON — worth checking before you plan a swim day.
- West View Shores water qualityGrade B · 36 mi · MD
- Lower Alloways Creek Twp At Americas water qualityGrade C · 29 mi · NJ
- Lower Alloways Creek Twp At Shipwreck water qualityGrade C · 32 mi · NJ
- Crystal Beach Manor water qualityGrade C · 35 mi · MD
- Elk Neck State Park North East River water qualityGrade D · 32 mi · MD
Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (2023–2025). Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.