Best Time to See Chipmunks in the US
May, June and September is the best time to see chipmunks in the United States. This is a national picture built from 99,485 verified iNaturalist observations across 37 states, showing when and where chipmunks are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
99,485 verified observations of chipmunks in the US, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When chipmunks are recorded in the US
Peak month
May
20,103 records (20.2% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 371 | 0.4% |
| February | 1,145 | 1.2% |
| March | 4,436 | 4.5% |
| April | 11,216 | 11.3% |
| Maypeak | 20,103 | 20.2% |
| Junepeak | 16,892 | 17% |
| July | 12,144 | 12.2% |
| August | 8,958 | 9% |
| Septemberpeak | 12,387 | 12.5% |
| October | 8,951 | 9% |
| November | 2,393 | 2.4% |
| December | 489 | 0.5% |
Chipmunks you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| Eastern Chipmunk | 71,506 |
Across the country, chipmunks sightings peak in May, when 20,103 of the 99,485 annual observations are logged, about 20.2% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through May, June and September.
The best states to see chipmunks by recorded sightings are Canada (27,928), New York (7,987), Massachusetts (6,797), Pennsylvania (5,888) and Ohio (5,311). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The chipmunks you are most likely to encounter nationwide are Eastern Chipmunk, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see chipmunks
- chipmunks in Canada27,928 sightings, peak May
- chipmunks in New York7,987 sightings, peak May
- chipmunks in Massachusetts6,797 sightings, peak May
- chipmunks in Pennsylvania5,888 sightings, peak May
- chipmunks in Ohio5,311 sightings, peak May
- chipmunks in Michigan5,003 sightings, peak May
- chipmunks in Illinois4,571 sightings, peak May
- chipmunks in Minnesota3,384 sightings, peak May
- chipmunks in Wisconsin3,375 sightings, peak May
- chipmunks in Virginia3,241 sightings, peak May
- chipmunks in New Jersey2,920 sightings, peak May
- chipmunks in Vermont2,713 sightings, peak May
- chipmunks in New Hampshire2,124 sightings, peak June
- chipmunks in Maine1,999 sightings, peak June
- chipmunks in Indiana1,974 sightings, peak May
Most-recorded chipmunks species nationwide
- Eastern Chipmunk71,506 records
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see chipmunks in the US?+
May is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through May, June and September, based on 99,485 verified observations across 37 states.
Which states are best for seeing chipmunks?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are Canada, New York and Massachusetts. Canada leads with 27,928 verified observations.
How many chipmunks sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 99,485 verified chipmunks observations are logged on iNaturalist across 37 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of chipmunks live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are Eastern Chipmunk, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.
Full chipmunks guides by state