September 22 or 23, the September equinox
How many days until First day of fall (autumnal equinox)?
There are 18 days until First day of fall 2026 (Tuesday, September 22, 2026).
First day of fall 2026 falls on
- Days
- 18
- Weeks
- 2 weeks and 4 days
- Months
- 0 months and 18 days
- Hours
- 432 hours
- Sleeps
- 18 sleeps
- Working days
- 12 working days (MonโFri)
Counting down to midnight local time on the date.
Is it First day of fall today? No. First day of fall 2026 is 18 days away, on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. This page reads your device's date and rolls over automatically at midnight.
Upcoming dates
| Year | Date | Weekday | Days away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday | 18 | |
| 2027 | Thursday | 384 | |
| 2028 | Friday | 749 | |
| 2029 | Saturday | 1,114 | |
| 2030 | Sunday | 1,479 | |
| 2031 | Tuesday | 1,845 |
US calendar dates from the US Naval Observatory equinox tables. The 2026 equinox is at 00:05 UTC on September 23, which is the evening of September 22 in every US time zone but already September 23 in Europe and Asia.
About First day of fall (autumnal equinox)
Astronomical fall begins at the September equinox, the instant the Sun crosses the celestial equator heading south. That moment is set by the Earth's orbit rather than a calendar rule, so it drifts about six hours later each year and jumps back a day after every leap year. In 2026 it arrives at 00:05 UTC on September 23, which is 8:05 pm Eastern on September 22; in 2027 it moves to 06:01 UTC on September 23. The dates in the table are the US calendar dates published by the US Naval Observatory. Meteorologists use a simpler definition, with fall running September 1 to November 30, so a weather forecast may say autumn started three weeks before this countdown reaches zero.
What actually changes on the day: daylight and darkness are close to equal everywhere on Earth, and from here the northern United States loses roughly two to three minutes of daylight every day until the December solstice. The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the equinox, most US pumpkin patches and apple orchards open the weekend before, and it is the traditional cutoff for planting garlic and spring bulbs across the northern states. Clocks do not move yet: Daylight Saving Time ends on the first Sunday of November, about six weeks later, so sunsets get earlier gradually rather than all at once.
Korea and the rest of East Asia mark the same instant as Chubun, one of the 24 solar terms, though the traditional seasonal calendar there starts autumn at Ipchu in early August. In the southern hemisphere this equinox is the first day of spring. Because it lands so close to the end of the third quarter, the equinox is also a handy anchor for year-end planning: December 31 is exactly 100 days after September 22, in leap years and common years alike.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the first day of fall always September 22?
- No. In the US it is September 22 or 23 through 2031; the exact instant moves about six hours later each year and steps back a day after each leap year.
- Why do some sites say September 23, 2026?
- The 2026 equinox is at 00:05 UTC on September 23. That is the evening of September 22 in the Americas and the morning of September 23 in Europe, Africa and Asia.
- What is the difference between astronomical and meteorological fall?
- Astronomical fall runs from the September equinox to the December solstice. Meteorological fall is simply September, October and November, chosen so the seasons line up with whole months.
- When do the other seasons start?
- Winter at the December solstice (December 21 in 2026), spring at the March equinox (March 20, 2027) and summer at the June solstice (June 21, 2027), all US dates.
- What day of the week is First day of fall 2026?
- First day of fall 2026 falls on a Tuesday (Tuesday, September 22, 2026). It is in 2027 a Thursday, in 2028 a Friday, in 2029 a Saturday. The table above lists each year to 2031.
Content last reviewed: 2026-09-03