When the mercury drops, some Americans welcome the chill while others follow the sun. To help people make their winter travel plans, WalletHub compared the cheapest U.S. destinations that are also the easiest to reach. In total, they analyzed nearly 70 of the largest metro areas — grouped as “warm” or “cold” — based on 37 key metrics, including two weeks of flight data, safety indicators and weather predictions.

Compared with other rankings that focus on each destination’s scenic quality, this report focuses primarily on the cost and convenience of traveling to each location as well as its affordability. This report also ensures the number of attractions and the variety of activities in each destination will keep everyone busy and entertained throughout the trip.

Best Cold-Weather Destinations		Best Warm-Weather Destinations
1.	Atlanta, GA	1.	Las Vegas, NV
2.	Chicago, IL	2.	San Diego, CA
3.	St. Louis, MO	3.	Dallas, TX
4.	New York, NY	4.	Austin, TX
5.	Cincinnati, OH	5.	Phoenix, AZ
6.	Washington, DC	6.	Houston, TX
7.	Denver, CO	7.	Tampa, FL
8.	Pittsburgh, PA	8.	Orlando, FL
9.	Philadelphia, PA	9.	San Antonio, TX
10.	Boston, MA	10.	San Francisco, CA

“Whether you love to have a chill in your bones during the winter travel season or prefer to escape to somewhere sunny, the top travel destinations can cost as little as $200-$300 to reach by plane from major U.S. cities, with no connections. In addition to being affordable, the top cities also have an abundance of attractions that fit their weather patterns, along with high-quality restaurants and relatively low crime rates.”
Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

In-Depth Look at the Top Cold-Weather Destinations

Winner: Atlanta, GA

The Atlanta metro area is the best cold-weather winter travel destination of 2026, even if it doesn’t get quite as chilly as some of the other cities on the list. Atlanta has a large number of attractions and an especially high number of shopping centers, spas, food festivals and restaurants per capita.

During the winter travel season, the cheapest flights to Atlanta from major cities only require an average of 0.2 connections (meaning many flights won’t have any) and can cost as little as $245.

Atlanta ranks in the top half of destinations when it comes to vacation safety, with the 12th-lowest property crime rate and 18th-lowest violent crime rate among the 32 metro areas for cold destinations in our study.

Runner-Up: Chicago, IL

The Chicago metro area is the second-best cold-weather winter travel destination, with the cheapest flights from major cities having no connections and costing as little as $302.

Chicago naturally boasts a ton of attractions, including ones that are perfect for winter vacationers. The metro area has the 10th-most ice skating rinks per capita, for example, along with a very high number of music venues, spas and affordable restaurants with at least 4.5 stars.

Finally, the Chicago metro area has the 18th-lowest property crime rate among the 32 metro areas for cold destinations in our study.

In-Depth Look at the Top Warm-Weather Destinations

Winner: Las Vegas, NV

The Las Vegas metro area is the best warm-weather winter travel destination of 2026. Las Vegas surprisingly has affordable accommodations during the winter travel season, with some of the lowest prices of a 3-star hotel room at $62 per night. Las Vegas is a bit more expensive to actually get to than other cities, though, with the cheapest flights from major cities costing $319 and an average of 0.33 connections.

Las Vegas shines due to its abundance of attractions, including an especially high number of amusement parks and shopping centers. The metro area also has plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities, with the seventh-best parks in the country, and a high number of basketball courts, bike rental facilities and public golf courses per capita. In addition, Las Vegas is one of the best places for affordable, high-quality restaurants.

Runner-Up: San Diego, CA

The San Diego metro area is the second-best warm-weather winter travel destination, in large part because it has the third-most pleasant weather conditions in the country. San Diego has a very large number of attractions, too, including it has an especially high number of amusement parks, bike rental facilities, shopping centers and affordable, highly-rated restaurants.

The cheapest flights to San Diego from major cities can be as low as $370 and have an average of 0.3 connections, so many flights are direct. While it’s pricier to visit San Diego or other warm-weather destinations compared to cold-weather destinations during the winter, the flights are still fairly reasonably priced.

When it comes to safety, San Diego has the eighth-lowest motor vehicle fatality rate and the 12th-lowest fatality rate due to drunk driving among the 37 metro areas for warm destinations in our study. It also has the fourth-lowest property crime rate and the 16th-lowest violent crime rate.