The 19 Best States for Fall Road Adventures

Where can you find the most perfect fall experience in the U.S.? You might be drawn to the golden shades of peak foliage contrasting with the rustic barns and covered bridges of rural New England. Alternatively, you may crave sweeping panoramic vistas of nature's transition from one of Oregon or Washington's majestic mountains. Or, maybe you're the type who gets swept up in the intense college football atmosphere down South. For something more unique, consider Tulsa, Oklahoma—a historic haven for German immigrants, hosting one of the most acclaimed Oktoberfest celebrations in the U.S. for 45 years.

However, if any of these destinations top your autumn travel list, you might be missing the mark, according to the experts at Coworking Café. This site, primarily a searchable directory for coworking spaces, also offers location-based content and has compiled a ranking of top fall states based on a variety of factors, assigning numeric point values to each state.

To build their rankings, Coworking Café's data scientists considered various factors, including the availability of fall-related entertainment like festivals, apple orchards, corn mazes, wineries, hayrides, and dining spots; climate and natural features such as fall temperatures, peak foliage duration, hiking trails, scenic drives, and national parks; as well as accessibility elements like coworking spaces per capita, gas prices, regional cost of living, free Wi-Fi availability, and road quality as rated by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Topping the list is New York. What makes it so irresistible? The state stands out with 282 apple orchards, 64 corn mazes, and 100 hayrides. Virginia claims second place, boasting the highest number of fall festivals (74) and scenic drives (227). California takes third, leading with 13,745 hiking trails, 280 state parks, and a whopping 4,054 wineries. Oregon and Texas are tied in their total scores. Below is a complete list of states with key metrics.