When the mercury drops, some Americans follow the sun while others welcome the cold. Take it from the nearly 54 million skiers who hit the slopes in the U.S. during the chilly months this past winter. But with forecasts of a much milder, wetter winter ahead, travel options may be more plentiful for warm-weather fans than for their cold-loving counterparts.
Regardless, Americans aren’t cutting back on their winter travel spending this year. In fact, more than a third plan to increase their leisure travel spending, according to the most recent State of the American Traveler survey.
As the winter holiday season approaches, WalletHub analysts crunched the numbers to find the most fun-filled and wallet-friendly winter destinations in the U.S. We did so by analyzing two weeks of flight data for the 69 of the largest metropolitan statistical areas, or MSAs, across 26 key metrics. Our data set ranges from the cost of the cheapest flight to the number of attractions in each winter vacation spot. You can find the results — which we divided into “cold” and “warm” destinations based on traveler preference — a detailed methodology and expert travel commentary below.
Top Cold-Weather Destinations
Regardless, Americans aren’t cutting back on their winter travel spending this year. In fact, more than a third plan to increase their leisure travel spending, according to the most recent State of the American Traveler survey.
As the winter holiday season approaches, WalletHub analysts crunched the numbers to find the most fun-filled and wallet-friendly winter destinations in the U.S. We did so by analyzing two weeks of flight data for the 69 of the largest metropolitan statistical areas, or MSAs, across 26 key metrics. Our data set ranges from the cost of the cheapest flight to the number of attractions in each winter vacation spot. You can find the results — which we divided into “cold” and “warm” destinations based on traveler preference — a detailed methodology and expert travel commentary below.
Top Cold-Weather Destinations
Source: WalletHub
| Best Cold Destinations for Winter Travel | Best Warm Destinations for Winter Travel | ||||
| 1 | Atlanta, GA | 1 | Las Vegas, NV | ||
| 2 | Albuquerque, NM | 2 | San Diego, CA | ||
| 3 | New York, NY | 3 | Los Angeles, CA | ||
| 4 | St. Louis, MO | 4 | Phoenix, AZ | ||
| 5 | Washington, DC | 5 | Tucson, AZ | ||
| 6 | Kansas City, MO | 6 | San Francisco, CA | ||
| 7 | Chicago, IL | 7 | Orlando, FL | ||
| 8 | Denver, CO | 8 | Tampa, FL | ||
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | 9 | Dallas, TX | ||
| 10 | Cincinnati, OH | 10 | Austin, TX | ||
