Americans may be paying more to fly and drive in 2026, but the rising cost of fuel and higher airfare hasn’t discouraged travelers from going on vacations.
Data from the U.S. Travel Association shows that travel spending is expected to grow for the second consecutive year, and that growth is expected to continue over the next two years.
Domestic travel accounts for 87% of the revenue in this space, and many travelers will be looking for their next destinations.
Weather around the country is set to get colder over the next few months, and potential travelers in several states will be looking for a warmer destination.
One major city in the southern part of the country is open for business during the colder months, and a new study ranks it as the top destination for cold-weather travel this winter.
Study Reveals Top Cities for Winter Travel
A new WalletHub study has analyzed data from 69 of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States, comparing them on metrics like cost, safety, travel difficulty and the number of winter-themed activities available upon arrival.
The following cities make up the top 10 in the study:
- Atlanta, GA
- Chicago, IL
- St. Louis, MO
- New York, NY (including Jersey City, NJ)
- Cincinnati, OH
- Washington D.C.
- Denver, CO
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Boston, MA
Atlanta earned the top spot due to its high ranking in several factors, including ease of travel, weather and the amount of cold-weather activities on offer.
WalletHub notes that the city has “a large number of attractions and an especially high number of shopping centers, spas, food festivals and restaurants per capita.”
Atlanta’s massive Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport also factors into its ranking, as travelers only need 0.2 connections on average to get there from major cities.
Flights to Atlanta are also relatively cheap, with some direct trips costing around $245.
Chicago, the second-ranked city on the list for winter travel destinations, fared well because of similar factors. O’Hare Airport is another major travel hub for visitors from around the country, and flights to the Windy City are relatively inexpensive.
Chicago, New York, Denver and other cities on the list do face potentially harsh winters, but WalletHub’s survey ranks them highly for travelers who don’t mind cold weather when they travel.
Travelers Looking For Warmer Weather
For travelers looking to escape cold weather altogether, Las Vegas earned the top spot. The city offers several affordable flights and hotels during the winter season, with some three-star hotels on offer for as low as $62 per night.
Vegas is slightly more expensive on average for flights than Chicago or Atlanta, but it’s still far cheaper than visiting other cities – especially for those who live on the other side of the country.
San Diego, Dallas, Austin and Phoenix made up the rest of the top five for warm-weather cities, with several other destinations in Texas, Florida and California throughout the entire list.
As winter travel begins to take shape over the next few weeks and months, it’s clear that some destinations are better equipped to handle large numbers of visitors during the colder months than others.
