The Best Time to Go Trick-or-Treating Tomorrow in Your City (2024)

When giving out candy, it can be fun to admire the creativity of kids’ Halloween costumes and hear their high-pitched voices say "trick or treat" while dressed as spooky creatures. Even if you think you are too old to trick-or-treat, kids and adults alike have celebrated Halloween for centuries — after all, only one night per year is taking candy from strangers acceptable.

To help the Halloween tradition go more smoothly, we’ve looked into the trick-or-treating hours of major U.S. cities located near you to find out how early and late certain areas may leave their doors open to mini monsters lurking for the best Halloween candy.

While many major cities do not have set hours for trick-or-treating, some have recommended times, specific trunk-or-treat events or will announce hours closer to Halloween. So, you might want to check with your local public officials, like the police department, to confirm if your area has any strict policy surrounding trick-or-treating hours.

What is the best time to go trick-or-treating?

Most trick-or-treaters start their trek at sunset after dinnertime, around 5:30 or 6 p.m., and end their collecting by 9 p.m. You can turn your porch light off if you run out of candy or would like to signal that you’re “closed” to trick-or-treaters by a certain time, but don’t be surprised if ghosts and goblins still show up at your door in search for more goodies!

Before you go knocking on someone’s door, remember to practice Halloween safety measures like eating only sealed candy, avoiding poorly-lit areas and bringing a flashlight or wearing reflective clothing. Happy Halloween!

Trick-or-Treat hours in areas across the country:

Each city can vastly differ in local guidelines for trick-or-treating on their streets, but there's a general window in mind for most Americans. A 2015 poll conducted by FiveThirtyEight suggests that most Americans agreed that trick-or-treaters should start arriving by 6 p.m. and be finished by 9 p.m. at the latest.

Here's when Trick-or-Treating usually occurs in the following cities:

• Atlanta: The city has no set hours, but events like trunk-or-treat will take place between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
• Boston: Last year, the Boston Police Department recommended trick-or-treating to end no later than 8:30 p.m.
• Chicago: Neighborhood festivities lasted from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. last year, per local outlets, and this year, many suburbs set curfews ending at 8 p.m. or 9 p.m.
• Cincinnati: Hours range between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., per local outlets.
• Cleveland: Neighborhood activities take place from 6 p.m. through 8 p.m., according to local outlets.
• Denver: The city has no set hours, but some citywide events may end as early as 6 p.m., according to The Denver Gazette.
• Indianapolis: Neighborhoods are hosting trick-or-treaters from 6 p.m. through 8, per a local NBC affiliate.
• Las Vegas: Neighborhoods laying beyond the strip host activities for all ages between 6 p.m. and 9.m. on Halloween, according to Fox 5 Vegas.
• New York City: Events take place across many areas of the city all day on Halloween, according to the New York City Department of Transportation.
• Philadelphia: The city has not released any information regarding a set trick-or-treating time as of yet, but events take place on and around Halloween, according to a local NBC affiliate.
• Phoenix: Neighborhoods in Phoenix will host events from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., according to a local ABC affiliate.
• Pittsburgh: Trick-or-treating will take place from 5 p.m. through 7 p.m., according to local outlets.
• San Antonio: Younger children can start trick-or-treating as early as 4:30 p.m. Older kids seem to start their journey around 7 p.m.
• San Diego: While there is no set time for trick-or-treating, some activities in the area will occur from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• San Francisco: Many streets throughout the city have set hours ending at 9 p.m., according to a local news outlet.
• San Jose: The city has not released any information regarding trick-or-treating times as of yet.
• Seattle: Average trick-or-treating times range from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the city.
• Washington D.C.: Trunk-or-treat events will take place between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., according to a statement from Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Before you head out, remember to bring a flashlight, look both ways before crossing the road and make sure your family stays together on streets, per Safe Kids Worldwide. And if you choose to stay in altogether, don't fret — there are plenty of ways to celebrate Halloween at home this year. Check out our best ideas below.