Best Time to Visit Florida

People often ask, “When is the best time to visit Florida?”. As Florida is a year-round destination, the apparent answer is “anytime.” Still, it depends on several factors, including exactly where in Florida you are heading, what you plan to do, the weather/seasons, and school and family holiday periods.

Like any supply-and-demand situation, prices are generally higher during the periods when more people want to visit a particular part of Florida. Traveling out of season can often be much quieter and save money, though some local facilities may be closed.

School Holidays

If you travel with children of school age, you may be constrained when you can visit Florida, as more and more schools clamp down on taking kids out of school during term time. If you are not traveling with children, you might consider avoiding school holidays.

Like most countries, the main school holiday in the United States is the long summer break. Florida’s schools typically break for the summer between late May and mid-August.

Other Florida school holidays typically center around a one-week Spring Break, usually around Easter time, a one-week Thanksgiving Break, and a two-week Winter Break from just before Christmas until the New Year.

Florida schools also observe some (but not necessarily all) of the US National holidays. These include Martin Luther King Day, Presidents‘ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans’ Day, plus other one-day holidays for teacher training and local festivals and fairs. Bear in mind that all of this does vary by Florida school district.

This contrasts with the United Kingdom, where school summer holidays typically run from late July to early September. They have breaks at Easter and Christmas, an extra break halfway through each term, and public (bank) holidays.

College Spring Break

In addition to school Spring Break, there is also the American College institution known simply as “Spring Break.” Because Florida has traditionally been one of the premier destinations for college Spring Breakers, Spring Break significantly impacts the number of visitors to certain parts of Florida at that time of year.

Though each college typically only has a one-week break, Spring Break is spread over several weeks as different colleges and universities throughout the USA stagger their break times. The busiest time is generally around Easter, but Spring Break can run from late February to April.

Visiting Florida In The Off-Peak Season

If you are visiting Orlando’s Theme Parks, you may be thinking about visiting during the quietest period. Visiting Florida during the off-peak season generally means reduced crowds and lower prices. Surprisingly, the off-peak season falls around July, August, and September, as well as in January outside of the holiday festivities.

During these months, visitors can enjoy more space and a relaxed atmosphere at Florida’s famous beaches and theme parks. July, August, and September are the best times for lower crowds due to the hot climate, while tourists interested in lower prices may prefer January and September. UK visitors may be able to squeeze in an early September holiday before the school restarts, which will offer lower crowds, reasonable temperatures, and lower prices.

It’s important to mention that July and August are also part of Florida’s hurricane season, which can affect travel plans. If you plan on traveling around this time, it might be worth booking a last-minute holiday after checking the weather forecasts or booking a holiday with a good cancellation policy (e.g., a hotel you can cancel up to a few days before).

Off-peak travel can provide better deals on accommodation and activities, playing favorably for budget-conscious travelers. School holidays may impact the prices for family holidays as there is a greater demand in these months.

US National Holidays

Another thing to consider is the long weekends around some US National holidays. Many Americans take short family holidays around some of the major US National holidays, often on Mondays. So you can expect many more people out and about around the weekends of Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day in particular, plus, of course, Thanksgiving.

Florida Weather and Seasons

With its subtropical climate, Florida never gets that cold, but it can get sweltering in the summer months, particularly in Central and Southern Florida. Your tolerance to heat may dictate when you travel to some extent, primarily if your holiday revolves around visiting the theme parks in Central Florida.

Most of Florida also has a pronounced wet and dry season, though rain showers and thunderstorms are usually short-lived. In the North, the wet season runs from June to September on the East Coast, while rainfall is more evenly distributed across the year in the Panhandle, with July being the wettest month. Central Florida’s wet season also runs from June to September, with an extended May to October season in the South.

In Northern Florida, the winters (December to March) can be cold by Florida standards. The sea will probably be too cold to swim in, and many bars/restaurants may be closed. The most popular times are during the summer when it can get very hot and humid. Off-peak times are during the spring (April to May) and autumn (September to November).

Central Florida’s climate is similar to Northern Florida’s but warmer. Because of its year-round theme park entertainment, peak times are around Easter, summer holidays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

In Southern Florida, winters (November to April) are mild, making winter the peak season. During the summer, temperatures, humidity, and mosquitoes are very high, but this brings prices down.

From a heat and humidity point of view, the worst time to visit Florida is late July/early August, which is right in the middle of the school summer holidays (and hurricane season). If you’re looking to explore other areas of the USA or even consider venturing further afield, PlacesofJuma is a great place to start with a few holiday ideas.

Conclusions

If you are traveling with children of school age, your hands are tied unless you can get permission to take them out of school during term time.

Summer offers the best water temperatures if your main interest is water sports.
With more flexibility than from a crowd/busy time point of view, the quieter periods (low seasons) are:

• Northern Florida – December to February (though it can be chilly)
• Central Florida – January/February, after Easter and leading up to the end of May and then September to December but avoiding Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season around Christmas and the New Year
• Southern Florida – June to September