Indianapolis weather in October

In October, Indianapolis sees average daytime highs of 64°F and overnight lows near 46°F, with 3.3 in of precipitation across 8.5 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 71°F in the first days to 58°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of October to 10 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Indianapolis's 3rd-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Indianapolis's year-round climate.

Daytime high
64°
6th warmest
Overnight low
46°
7th coldest
Precipitation
3.3 in
8.5 wet days
Daylight
10 h 54 min
7:02 AM – 5:58 PM
Cloud cover
55%
3rd clearest
Wind
8 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
3.27 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.0
out of 10

Indianapolis is capital city of the U.S. state of Indiana and seat of Marion County.

Density
931/km²
people per km²
Founded
1821

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 71°F in the first days to 58°F by the end.

A typical October day in Indianapolis reaches about 64°F in the afternoon and slips back to 46°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 52°F and 77°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 12°F cooler than September and about 14°F warmer than November.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17151
27151
37151
47050
57050
66949
76949
86849
96848
106748
116747
126747
136647
146546
156546
166446
176445
186445
196345
206244
216244
226244
236143
246143
256043
266042
275942
285942
295841
305841
315741

How October really feels in Indianapolis

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

October sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Indianapolis weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan36° / 22°3.29.24.29.50.0
Feb40° / 25°2.68.5410.40.2
Mar51° / 33°3.811.1211.72.4
Apr63° / 44°4.7120.4135.1
May72° / 55°4.813.4014.26.1
Jun81° / 64°4.211.8014.86.0
Jul84° / 67°3.611.5014.55.4
Aug83° / 65°2.89013.66.2
Sep77° / 57°2.87.6012.37.2
Oct64° / 46°3.38.50.110.96.0
Nov51° / 35°3.48.80.89.82.5
Dec40° / 27°3.19.83.59.20.1

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 51%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15743
25743
35743
45644
55644
65545
75446
85347
95446
105347
115347
125248
135248
145149
155149
165050
174951
184951
194753
204654
214654
224456
234456
244357
254357
264357
274258
284159
294060
304060
314258

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Indianapolis gets around 3.3 in of rain and snow over 8.5 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 27% and peaks near 29% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
126
225
325
425
525
625
725
825
926
1026
1126
1226
1326
1427
1527
1627
1727
1828
1928
2028
2128
2229
2329
2429
2529
2629
2729
2829
2929
3029
3129

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of October feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, October lands in the dry band about 83% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1721486
2731386
3731386
4741385
5741385
6751285
7761275
8771274
9771274
10791173
11801163
12811162
13831052
14841051
15841051
16851041
17851041
1887940
1987940
2088930
2188930
2289830
2389830
2489830
2589830
2690820
2790820
2891720
2991720
3091720
3191720

Wind in October

Winds average 8 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87light breeze
97light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
128light breeze
138light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min at the start of October to 10 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 78 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:46 AM to 7:18 AM, and sunset from 6:21 PM to 5:38 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:466:21
211.56:476:20
311.56:486:18
411.56:496:16
511.46:506:15
611.46:516:13
711.36:526:11
811.36:536:10
911.26:546:08
1011.26:556:07
1111.16:566:05
1211.16:576:04
1311.16:586:02
1411.07:006:01
1511.07:015:59
1610.97:025:58
1710.97:035:56
1810.87:045:55
1910.87:055:53
2010.87:065:52
2110.77:075:51
2210.77:085:49
2310.67:095:48
2410.67:115:47
2510.67:125:45
2610.57:135:44
2710.57:145:43
2810.47:155:41
2910.47:165:40
3010.47:175:39
3110.37:185:38

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.27 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.7 kWh/m² to a high of 6.26 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 3.27 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.0Moderate
24.0Moderate
33.9Moderate
43.9Moderate
53.8Moderate
63.8Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.6Moderate
103.6Moderate
113.5Moderate
123.5Moderate
133.4Moderate
143.4Moderate
153.3Moderate
163.3Moderate
173.2Moderate
183.2Moderate
193.1Moderate
203.1Moderate
213.0Moderate
223.0Moderate
233.0Moderate
242.9Moderate
252.9Moderate
262.8Moderate
272.8Moderate
282.8Moderate
292.7Moderate
302.7Moderate
312.6Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Indianapolis?

Our two travel scores rate October for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

6.0
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
2.2
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Indianapolis for sightseeing.

What to pack for Indianapolis in October

From October's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In October, Indianapolis sees daytime highs around 64°F and nights near 46°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Indianapolis in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Indianapolis peaks around June 23 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 9Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Indianapolis in October

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where October falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Indianapolis is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (October, 8 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateModerateGoodJul 1416 µg/m³Oct 218 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb12Moderate
Mar12Moderate
Apr12Good
May14Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Indianapolis?

Indianapolis sits at 39.8°N, 86.2°W, 715 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Broad Ripple, 6.8 mi away.

Topography around Indianapolis

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Indianapolis.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Indianapolis has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 128 ft around an average of 719 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 515 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 761 ft.

The land around Indianapolis is covered by artificial surfaces (71%) within 2 miles, trees (43%), artificial surfaces (30%) and grassland (20%) within 10 miles, and cropland (58%) and trees (29%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
128 ft
10 miles
515 ft
50 miles
761 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Broad Ripple 6.8 mi · Lawrence 8.7 mi · Greenwood 11 mi · Fairfield Heights 12 mi · Avon 13 mi · Plainfield 14 mi · Brownsburg 14 mi · Zionsville 14 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Indianapolis (39.7684°, -86.158°, elevation 715 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).