How Crowded Is Independence National Historical Park in October?

October runs about 1× Independence National Historical Park's average month, which makes it an average month here — roughly 9% of the park's yearly visitors come in October.

In a typical October the park sees about 271,000 recreation visits, based on National Park Service monthly counts from 1979 to 2025.

That makes October the 7th-busiest of the park's twelve months, sitting between the July peak (1.6×) and the January low (0.5×).

On our Best Time to Visit score October rates 55/100 ("Fair") — the single best-rated month at Independence, balancing crowds against weather and daylight.

Typical October weather, from 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals at the nearest station, averages a daytime high near 68°F and an overnight low around 51°F, with about 4.2" of precipitation.

That average of about 60°F is a comfortable range for hiking and being outdoors all day.

Because June, July and August together draw about 35% of annual visitors, choosing October instead steps outside that summer crush — the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels.

You'll have about 10.9 hours of daylight in October to explore — between the 9.2-hour midwinter low and the 14.8-hour summer high.

Park-wide, 2025 drew 1,926,580 recreation visits, down 31.2% from 2,798,651 in 2024.

Across the past decade overall visitation has eased about 39.9%, so October may feel a touch quieter than it once did.