Most cicadas spend years underground but only a few weeks to about a month alive as adults above ground.

How long do cicadas live?

Quick Scoop

  • Underground as nymphs: typically 2 to 17+ years , depending on the species.
  • Famous “periodical” cicadas (Magicicada): total life cycle of 13 or 17 years.
  • Above ground as adults: usually 3–5 weeks , often summarized as “about a month.”
  • Only a tiny fraction of cicadas ever make it to adulthood; many nymphs die in the first years underground.

Underground vs. above ground

Cicadas live most of their lives hidden underground as nymphs, feeding on tree roots and growing very slowly. When they finally emerge, they molt into adults, fly, sing, and mate—and that dramatic, noisy phase is actually the shortest part of their life.

  • Underground phase (nymphs)
    • Annual cicadas (like Neotibicen “dog-day” cicadas): roughly 2–5 years underground.
* Periodical cicadas (Magicicada): about **13 or 17 years** underground, depending on the brood.

* Some species documented with life cycles ranging roughly **1 to 21 years** total.
  • Adult phase (above ground)
    • Most adults live 3–5 weeks , sometimes up to a bit more than a month in good conditions.
* Many die sooner from predators, accidents, or bad weather.

In other words, a cicada might spend over a decade quietly underground for just a few noisy weeks in the sun.

Different cicada types

Not all cicadas follow the same schedule; some come every year, others only after many years.

  • Periodical cicadas (U.S. 13- and 17-year broods)
    • Total lifespan: 13 or 17 years , most of it underground.
* Famous broods like Brood XIII (17-year) and Brood XIX (13-year) emerge in huge numbers in certain years.
  • Annual cicadas
    • Called “annual” because some emerge every summer, but individuals still live 2–8 years total underground plus a short adult phase.
  • Record holders
    • Some Magicicada species can have life cycles stretching up to about 21–22 years in rare cases (“stragglers” that emerge late).

Why people say “they only live a few weeks”

You’ll often hear that cicadas “only live a few weeks” because people usually mean the adult lifespan—when they’re visible, loud, and flying around. Biologists, however, count the entire life cycle , from egg to nymph to adult, which can be more than a decade for many species.

A simple way to remember it:

  • Life cycle (egg → nymph underground → adult): years to decades, depending on species.
  • Adult life (the noisy part you see): about a month.

TL;DR

Most cicadas live years to decades total , but only 3–5 weeks as flying adults above ground.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.