2023 Best Summer Travel Destinations in US

The average flight to a popular summer destination costs $413, lasts 4 hours and 13 minutes and has 0.4 connections

With nearly 85% of Americans planning summer trips in 2023, travel industry experts compared 100 metro areas across 41 key indicators of budget- and fun-friendliness, to help travelers plan the perfect summer getaway.

The data set ranges from the cost of the cheapest flight to the number of attractions to the average price of a two-person meal.

Compared with other rankings that focus on each destination’s scenic quality, this study focuses primarily on the cost and convenience of traveling to each location as well as its affordability.

However, it does take into account the number of attractions and variety of activities in each destination to ensure visitors will stay busy and entertained throughout the trip.

Top 20 Summer Travel Destinations

1. Atlanta, GA
2. Honolulu, HI
3. Washington, DC
4. Wichita, KS
5. New York, NY
6. Chicago, IL
7. Tampa, FL
8. Orlando, FL
9. Richmond, VA
10. Springfield, MO
11. San Antonio, TX
12. Salt Lake City, UT
13. Greenville, SC
14. Austin, TX
15. Philadelphia, PA
16. Oklahoma City, OK
17. Grand Rapids, MI
18. El Paso, TX
19. Los Angeles, CA
20. Minneapolis, MN

Travel Costs & Hassles

Lowest Costs & Fewest Hassles

1. Santa Rosa, CA
2. Milwaukee, WI
3. Salt Lake City, UT
4. Springfield, MO
5. Dayton, OH

Highest Costs & Most Hassles

96. Cape Coral, FL
97. Lansing, MI
98. Kansas City, MO
99. McAllen, TX
100. Baton Rouge, LA

Local Costs

Lowest Costs

1. Oklahoma City, OK
2. Augusta, GA
3. McAllen, TX
4. Tulsa, OK
5. Springfield, MO

Highest Costs

96. Honolulu, HI
97. Seattle, WA
98. San Diego, CA
99. San Francisco, CA
100. Santa Rosa, CA

Best vs. Worst

• The average flight to a popular summer destination costs $413, lasts 4 hours and 13 minutes and has 0.4 connections.

• The Los Angeles metro area is the most attractive destination on the West Coast and the Washington, D.C. metro area is the most attractive destination on the East Coast.

• Florida and Texas are home to the most top summer destinations in the U.S., each with at least two metro areas in the top 15. Oppositely, California has among the largest number of the unpopular summer destinations, with at least two metro areas.

• The Houston metro area has the lowest nightly rate for a three-star hotel room, $28, which is 9.1 times less expensive than in Portland, the metro area with the highest at $254.