Updated October 2026
Best Time to Visit Theodore Roosevelt Island
District of Columbia
Best month to visit
May
77°F / 58°F avg high / low
Our recommendation
Visit Theodore Roosevelt Island in May
May offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). For comparison, October is the most crowded month (~1.3× the average month) and February is the quietest.
- Annual visits
- 160K
- 2025
- Busiest month
- Oct
- 1.3× avg
- Quietest month
- Feb
- 0.7× avg
- 10-yr trend
- steady
- +5%
How crowded is Theodore Roosevelt Island 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
Theodore Roosevelt Island weather by month →
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Avg high / low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Quiet | 32 Poor | 45°F / 30°F | 9.6 h |
| February | Quiet | 45 Fair | 48°F / 32°F | 10.5 h |
| March | Quiet | 53 Fair | 57°F / 39°F | 11.7 h |
| April | Average | 57 Fair | 68°F / 48°F | 13.0 h |
| Mayour pick | Quiet | 80 Excellent | 77°F / 58°F | 14.1 h |
| June | Average | 64 Good | 85°F / 68°F | 14.7 h |
| July | Average | 48 Fair | 90°F / 72°F | 14.5 h |
| August | Busy | 41 Poor | 88°F / 71°F | 13.5 h |
| September | Busy | 48 Fair | 81°F / 64°F | 12.2 h |
| October | Busy | 37 Poor | 69°F / 52°F | 11.0 h |
| November | Busy | 32 Poor | 58°F / 42°F | 9.8 h |
| December | Average | 33 Poor | 49°F / 35°F | 9.3 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USW00013743, ~3.7 mi away).
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About visiting Theodore Roosevelt Island
Theodore Roosevelt Island is a unit of the National Park System in DC and a relatively quiet park, drawing about 160,000 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 1.3× the park's average month, while February is the calmest at roughly 0.7× — a 2-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 26% 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 81°F in July down to about 38°F in January, with the wettest stretch in July and meaningful snowfall around February. 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 May: pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). Visit then and you trade a little peak-season certainty for noticeably shorter lines and easier parking than the October rush. Daylight ranges from about 9.3 hours in midwinter to 14.7 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
In the 1930s, landscape architects transformed Mason’s Island from neglected, overgrown farmland into Theodore Roosevelt Island, a memorial to America’s 26th president. They conceived a “real forest” designed to mimic the natural forest that once covered the island. Today miles of trails through wooded uplands and swampy bottomlands honor the legacy of a great outdoorsman and conservationist.
Weather & conditions
Outdoor trails and memorial plaza subject to weather for Washington, D.C. and Arlington, VA.
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near Theodore Roosevelt Island
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Theodore Roosevelt Island — live availability and prices to plan your trip. May 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 Theodore Roosevelt Island
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 Theodore Roosevelt Island
The nearest airport is Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), about 8 mi (16 min drive) away. Most visitors reach Theodore Roosevelt Island by car.
Frequently Asked Questions
May offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season) at Theodore Roosevelt Island. The park is busiest in October (about 1.3× the average month) and quietest in February.
October is the busiest month at Theodore Roosevelt Island, running roughly 1.3 times the park's average monthly visitation.
February is the quietest month at Theodore Roosevelt Island, at about 0.7× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Theodore Roosevelt Island recorded about 159,828 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been steady over the past decade (+5%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Theodore Roosevelt Island averages about 81°F (July). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) is the closest airport to Theodore Roosevelt Island, about 8 mi (16 min drive) away.
Nearby parks to visit
1 mi away · best in September
1 mi away · best in September
1 mi away · best in September
1 mi away · best in September
1 mi away · best in September
1 mi away · best in September
Keep exploring
Water quality of lakes near Theodore Roosevelt Island
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.
- Goose Creek Reservoir water qualityGrade A · 27 mi · VA
- Beaverdam Creek Reservior Lake water qualityGrade A · 27 mi · VA
- Beaverdam Creek Reservoir water qualityGrade A · 27 mi · VA
- Smith Lake water qualityGrade A · 34 mi · VA
- Burke Lake water qualityGrade C · 16 mi · VA
Beach water quality near Theodore Roosevelt Island
Beaches within a 40-mile drive, graded on multi-year bacteria sampling from EPA BEACON — worth checking before you plan a swim day.
- Highland Beach water qualityGrade A · 32 mi · MD
- Chesapeake Station water qualityGrade A · 32 mi · MD
- Bay Ridge At River Dr. water qualityGrade A · 33 mi · MD
- Bay Ridge At Bay Dr. water qualityGrade A · 33 mi · MD
- Hunters Harbor water qualityGrade A · 35 mi · MD
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.