How Crowded Is Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in January?

January runs about 0.3× Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial's average month, which makes it a very quiet month here — roughly 3% of the park's yearly visitors come in January.

In a typical January the park sees about 74,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1997 to 2025.

It is the quietest month of the year at Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial; by contrast March, the busiest, runs about 1.7× the average — so January is the easiest time to have the place largely to yourself.

On our Best Time to Visit score January rates 43/100 ("Poor"), versus the top-rated September at 66/100 — pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season).

Typical January weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 45°F and an overnight low around 30°F, with about 2.9" of precipitation and roughly 5" of snow.

That average of about 38°F is cool, so layers and a shorter daylight window matter.

Because June, July and August together draw about 28% of annual visitors, choosing January instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 9.6 hours of daylight in January to explore — near the year-round minimum.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 2,832,124 recreation visits, down 12.2% from 3,225,923 in 2024.