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Gateway Arch · May
May is a good time to visit Gateway Arch — about as busy as April, quieter than June.
Expect moderate crowds (5/10), highs near 76°F, and about 14.3 hours of daylight.
Crowd score
A comfortable middle ground: some company on popular trails, but no gridlock.
About 45% of this park's busiest month.
Source: NPS Visitor Use Statistics, 2023–2025
Data: NPS visitation 2023–2025 · crowd scores computed Jul 2026. How this is calculated →
Computed from federal data · Methodology by Sharon Ben-Moshe
Visitation
May draws about 9% of Gateway Arch’s yearly visitors.
Typical monthly recreation visits, averaged over the most recent three full years.
Source: NPS Visitor Use Statistics, 2023–2025
Weather
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, CAHOKIA, IL US
What's open
The Gateway Arch is open year-round, closed only on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Summer Hours (9am-6pm, Sunday through Thursday and 9am-8pm Friday and Saturday) run the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend and are the primary visitor season. During Regular Hours (the day after Labor Day through Friday before Memorial Day) we are open from 9am to 6pm. Around the holidays we occasionally have extended hours.
No seasonal road or area closures reported for this park.
Source: NPS Data API
Conditions
No current alerts or closures reported for this park.
Source: NPS Data API
Context
FAQ
May rates 5/10 for crowds (Moderate) at Gateway Arch National Park — about 45% of its busiest month. Typical recreation visits: 221,640.
In May, Gateway Arch averages a high of 76°F and a low of 56°F, with about 4.8 inches of precipitation.
Entrance to Gateway Arch costs $19 (Prices vary by date of visit. Begin your tour with an interactive pre-boarding experience featuring 60s-inspired animation and Gateway Arch trivia. Then, be transported 630 feet to the top of Arch for exhilarating views. Please allow 45 - 60 minutes for your Tram Ride to the Top experience. Adult (16 and up): Starting at $15 Child (3-15): Starting at $11 Infant (2 and under): FREE Park Pass Holder: Starting at $12 Tickets available at www.gatewayarch.com).
Gateway Arch is quietest in January and February. If your dates are flexible, those months bring the thinnest crowds of the year.
In mid-May, Gateway Arch gets about 14.3 hours of daylight, with sunrise around 4:48 AM and sunset around 7:06 PM.