Once the sun starts shining and the weather gets warmer, the idea of spending a lazy day lounging by the pool becomes very appealing. If you’re eager to take a dip, you might be wondering when public pools open for the summer.
Public pools in the U.S open sometime between late April to early June. The exact date varies depending on the location. For example, in the North, the season starts a little later due to the colder climate. Pools in New York open around Memorial Day while ones down South open a few weeks earlier.
Wherever you are, pools are a great way to cool off during the summer. If you don’t want to miss out on spending time in the water, check when your local pool will be open for business and mark your calendar. Let’s find out more about the opening and closing dates for public pools across the country.
What Month Do Public Pools Usually Open?
Public pools typically open when the temperature starts to stay around 70 degrees. This means pools down south open earlier, like in the states of Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama. You’ll see them open in late March or early April.
Moving toward the west, like in California, Colorado, and Nevada, pools open in late April to early May. Swimming pools on the East Coast, like those in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, usually don’t open until Memorial Day Weekend.
However, the exception to the rule is indoor pools. Indoor temperature-controlled pools, like the ones in gyms and hotels, stay open year-round. Privately owned pools are also not subject to the same seasonal schedules as public pools.
And, real quick, if you’re at all worried about the water quality at a public pool, know that you can purchase some cheap pool test strips (on Amazon) that allow you to check the quality before jumping in; and they work on hot tubs too!
How Many Hours A Day are Public Pools Open?
Most public pools are open six days a week during the summer, but it largely depends on the town, city, or state regulations. The average pool is open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, but some close as early as 6:00 pm.
There are also session times — morning, afternoon, and evening — when the pool is open for a few hours, closes for an hour or two in between, and then re-opens.
Some pools also offer fixed hours for lap swimming and different open/family swim hours. But overall, public pools are open an average of 60-70 hours per week during the summer.
These regulations largely depend on the availability of staff and the requirement of lifeguards on duty. If a pool is short-staffed, it may have to close earlier.
The best way to find out the hours of your local pool is to contact the pool directly or check their website or Facebook page. Most pools also post their hours on signs at the entrance to the facility.
Are Public Pools Open On Weekends?
Weekends are usually the busiest time for public pools because that’s when people tend have more free time. As a result, almost all public pools remain open on Saturdays and Sundays. The timing may also increase by an hour or two compared to weekdays because of higher demand.
That’s why the off days for maintenance and cleaning pools are always during the week, usually either on Monday or Tuesday.
The same goes for holidays. They’re also considered high traffic days, so public pools remain open even if it falls on the resting day of the week.
When Do Public Pools Close For The Year?
Like the opening dates, the closing dates for public pools largely depend on the geographic location. Most public pools in the United States close sometime in September, with Labour Day weekend being a popular choice for closing.
But as the summertime has lengthened over the past decade, some pools stay open later into October.
In the Northern states like Massachusetts and New York, the pools close as soon as the temperature dip below 70 degrees, which is usually in early September. Meanwhile, in Southern states, the weather stays warm well into November, so their pools don’t close until later in the month.
Indoor public pools are, of course, not subject to the same seasonal changes and usually remain open all year long. But their schedules may change to accommodate winter break, school holidays, and other events.
