Updated October 2026
Best Time to Visit Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
National Historic SiteIowa
Best month to visit
October
63°F / 40°F avg high / low
Our recommendation
Visit Herbert Hoover in October
October offers the lightest crowds of the park's good-weather months. For comparison, August is the most crowded month (~1.8× the average month) and February is the quietest.
- Annual visits
- 107K
- 2025
- Busiest month
- Aug
- 1.8× avg
- Quietest month
- Feb
- 0.6× avg
- 10-yr trend
- falling
- -12.8%
More photos of Herbert Hoover
Photos courtesy of the National Park Service (public domain).
How crowded is Herbert Hoover by month?
Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 1979–2025.
Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site weather by month →
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Avg high / low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Quiet | 41 Poor | 29°F / 12°F | 9.3 h |
| February | Quiet | 45 Fair | 34°F / 16°F | 10.4 h |
| March | Average | 38 Poor | 48°F / 27°F | 11.7 h |
| April | Quiet | 60 Good | 62°F / 37°F | 13.1 h |
| May | Busy | 61 Good | 72°F / 49°F | 14.4 h |
| June | Busy | 65 Good | 81°F / 59°F | 15.0 h |
| July | Busy | 55 Fair | 84°F / 63°F | 14.7 h |
| August | Very busy | 46 Fair | 82°F / 60°F | 13.7 h |
| September | Average | 64 Good | 76°F / 52°F | 12.3 h |
| Octoberour pick | Average | 57 Fair | 63°F / 40°F | 10.8 h |
| November | Quiet | 41 Poor | 48°F / 28°F | 9.6 h |
| December | Quiet | 34 Poor | 34°F / 18°F | 9.0 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USC00134101, ~8.9 mi away).
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About visiting Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in IA and a relatively quiet park, drawing about 107,000 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has eased over the past decade, down about 12.8%. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: August is the busiest month at about 1.8× the park's average month, while February is the calmest at roughly 0.6× — a 3-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 37% 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. Weather swings from an average high-season warmth near 74°F in July down to about 21°F in January, with the wettest stretch in June. About 6 months a year see comfortable average temperatures in the 50–80°F range, which is part of why crowd timing and weather timing don't always line up. The sweet spot is October: the lightest crowds of the park's good-weather months. Visit then and you trade a little peak-season certainty for noticeably shorter lines and easier parking than the August rush. Daylight ranges from about 9.0 hours in midwinter to 15.0 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. These crowd figures are drawn from 1979–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, paired with 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals, and are updated as new monthly data is released.
Park overview
Orphaned at age nine, Herbert Hoover left West Branch never to live here again. In later years, he returned to his humble birthplace to celebrate his long career of public service. A memorial landscape remains to tell his story: how community, hard work, honesty, and usefulness to others opened a world of opportunity— and the presidency of the United States— to a child of simple beginnings.
Weather & conditions
Spring and fall are mild with moderate temperatures. Average high temperatures in the spring and fall are between 50° and 60° F, with lows from 40° F to 50° F. Summer is hot and humid with average highs around 85° F. Winter can be cold, windy, and snowy with highs averaging 30° F or lower. Rain and thunderstorms are most frequent in the spring and summer.
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near Herbert Hoover
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Herbert Hoover National Historic Site — live availability and prices to plan your trip. October is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather. Full lodging guide: when to book, gateway vs in-park, and the crowd calendar that drives room rates.
Top-rated places to stay near Herbert Hoover
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
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Getting to Herbert Hoover
The nearest airport is The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID), about 32 mi (42 min drive) away. Most visitors reach Herbert Hoover by car.
What takes a reservation at Herbert Hoover
From National Park Service records read on October 11, 2026. Timed-entry and permit rules change from season to season; the official Herbert Hoover page has this year's.
Activities the park marks as needing a reservation
Frequently Asked Questions
October offers the lightest crowds of the park's good-weather months at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. The park is busiest in August (about 1.8× the average month) and quietest in February.
August is the busiest month at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, running roughly 1.8 times the park's average monthly visitation.
February is the quietest month at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, at about 0.6× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site recorded about 106,672 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been falling over the past decade (-12.8%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site averages about 74°F (July). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) is the closest airport to Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, about 32 mi (42 min drive) away.
Nearby parks to visit
Keep exploring
Water quality of lakes near Herbert Hoover
If you are planning to swim, paddle or fish on this trip, these graded lakes are within a 40-mile drive. Grades are A–F from EPA and state-agency sampling.
- Kent Park Lake water qualityGrade B · 20 mi · IA
- George Lake water qualityGrade C · 32 mi · IL
- Railroad Lake water qualityGrade C · 36 mi · IA
- Blue Grass Lake water qualityGrade C · 36 mi · IA
- Lake of the Hills water qualityGrade C · 36 mi · IA
Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.