Fall leaf collection 2026: St. Charles, Geneva and Batavia dates

Updated Nov. 13, 2026, with each city's current schedule.

Curbside leaf collection in St. Charles, Geneva and Batavia is in its later rounds. Batavia's east side gets its third pass the week of Nov. 16 and the west side the week of Nov. 23. As of Friday, Nov. 13, Geneva's contractor was finishing Zone B's second pass, with third passes starting Nov. 16. In St. Charles, the city's most recent update, posted Nov. 10, said its contractor expected to start the second round on the west side of the river Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Batavia: east side Nov. 16, west side Nov. 23

Batavia's collection weeks depend on which side of the Fox River you live on. The west side's second round was the week of Nov. 9. The remaining rounds:

• East side: the week of Nov. 16 (third round)
• West side: the week of Nov. 23 (third round)

The third round depends on weather. Snow or freezing temperatures can delay or cancel it because some of the leaf equipment is also used for snow and ice work.

Have leaves on the parkway by 6 a.m. on the Monday of your collection week. Crews collect rain or shine and make one pass per round, so leaves raked out after they pass wait for the next round. Keep piles within 6 feet of the curb, out of the street and alleys, and away from parked cars, mailboxes, hydrants, trees and utility boxes. Keep sticks, brush and trash out of the pile. Ornamental grasses and corn stalks go out as yard waste.

The service covers single-family homes and buildings with six or fewer units. Those properties pay $5 a month on their utility bill for leaf and brush collection. The city posts a progress map that is updated daily during the program.

Geneva: third pass starts Nov. 16

Geneva's contractor, Kramer Tree Specialists, makes three passes through each of the city's three leaf zones. As of Nov. 13, the city's Leaf Collection page showed the second pass completed in Zones A and C. Zone B's second pass was pushed back a day because of leaf volume, began Nov. 12 and continues Friday and Saturday, Nov. 13-14. Proposed start dates for the third pass:

• Zone C: Nov. 16
• Zone A: Nov. 19
• Zone B: Nov. 23

Each zone takes several days. The city's Leaf Collection page has the zone map and a progress map updated weekday mornings.

Rake leaves to the parkway in a row parallel to the street, about 12 inches behind the curb or pavement edge, by 7 a.m. on the Monday of your scheduled week, according to the city's announcement. Keep brush in a separate pile. Leaves raked into the street or gutter can clog storm sewers.

St. Charles: second round under way

St. Charles started on the west side of the river on Oct. 28, and Kramer Tree Specialists began the east side Nov. 3. The city's most recent update, posted Tuesday, Nov. 10, said Kramer expected to start the second round on the west side Wednesday, Nov. 11. Each side gets three collection cycles, and the city expects to finish by Dec. 5. The city doesn't post dates for each later cycle ahead of time, so check the progress map on its website (second-round streets show in orange) to see where crews are.

Have leaves on the parkway by 6:30 a.m. on the first day of pickup for your area. It can take three to four days to reach every street. Rake leaves in a row parallel to the street, at least 1 foot back from the curb and off the sidewalk, and keep piles about 10 feet from hydrants, trees and light poles. Crews skip piles blocked by parked cars and come back on the next round.

Pushing leaves into the street violates city code and can bring a fine of up to $500 per offense.

The program is paid for through a fee on eligible homeowners' utility bills, and some subdivisions are not included (Cumberland Green, Willowgate and Viewpointe are among them; the full list is on the city's announcement). Call Utility Billing at 630-377-4426 if you are not sure you are covered.

Missed the trucks? Bag them in December

All three cities take bagged leaves for free after the vacuum rounds end, with no yard waste sticker needed. Use paper yard waste bags and put in leaves only.

• St. Charles: Lakeshore Recycling Systems collects bagged leaves on your regular refuse day from Nov. 30 through Dec. 29.
• Geneva: Set brown yard waste bags out with your garbage in December. The final pickup is the week of Dec. 28. Friday routes run a day late that week because of New Year's Day.
• Batavia: Groot collects leaf bags on your regular refuse day Dec. 1 through 31. Keep the bags as dry as you can so they do not tear.

Weather and leaf volume can shift any of these dates, so check your city's progress map before you rake.