Top Domestic U.S. Destinations For Travelers This Summer Revealed

Last Updated 1 year ago

A recent study has revealed the top domestic destinations in the US for travelers to visit this coming summer. With the cost of both international air travel and hotel bookings abroad reaching expensive new highs over the past few weeks, domestic travel around the US is the perfect way to enjoy a great trip without having to worry too much about how to afford it – and there’s still so much that destinations at home have to offer travelers.

Whether heading to big cities or charming towns, or to breaks by the beach or in the country, travelers in the US are blessed to have so many options on their doorsteps – and so many different ways of reaching them. Here’s a look at which destinations made the cut to be crowned some of the top options for travelers this summer, plus a closer look into how the list was curated.

Top Domestic Destinations – Information For Travelers

The study into which domestic destinations are the best for US travelers this summer was conducted by the personal finance company WalletHub. The company developed a ranking system that took into account a range of different metrics such as travel costs, the attractions a destination has to offer, what the weather will be like, the safety of the destination and how expensive it is.

The study was wide-ranging in its scope, with a total of 100 of the largest metro areas in the US being assessed across the 43 different metrics in order to determine which destination is the top one for travelers this summer. Once the study was complete, it was the metropolitan area of Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford in Florida that came out in first place – just one of several destinations in Florida to feature in the top 20 of the list.

Orlando took the top spot with a score of 69.97 according to WalletHub’s index. The city’s impressive range of activities – notably Disney World and Universal Studios – saw it take top spot when ranked on activities alone, whilst it also performed strongly in the safety and attractions metric. Other Florida destinations that performed well included Tampa in third place, Miami-Fort Lauderdale in 11th and Jacksonville in 14th spot.

For travelers looking to save on travel expenses, Santa Rosa in California was judged to be the destination with the lowest costs and fewest hassles, with Cincinnati, Ohio and Minneapolis, Minnesota close behind. In terms of saving money when you get there, McCallen, Texas was found to be the cheapest destination, with Tulsa, Oklahoma and Augusta, Georgia the second and third cheapest respectively.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was Honolulu that came top when it came to the best weather – making it the perfect destination for travelers looking for a beach getaway. The survey found that Chicago was the top destination in terms of attractions, with Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, and San Francisco also cited as cities with a lot to offer, making them ideal spots for those who like to get out and about and seize the day on their vacations.