This Southern City Was Named the Best Cold Weather Winter Destination in the U.S. for Its Attractions, Climate, Affordability, and Safety

We don’t want to freak you out, but the official start of winter is just a few short weeks away. On Dec. 21, autumn will officially end, which means that now is the perfect time to start plotting a winter escape. And if you need some inspiration on where to find a place that’s both affordable and convenient to get to, WalletHub has you covered. 

In late October, the personal finance company revealed its list of the best winter holiday destinations for the 2024-2025 winter season. After running the numbers, WalletHub named Atlanta the top choice for a cold weather winter getaway.

It created the list by analyzing 70 of the largest metro areas in the United States and grouped them into “warm” or “cold” destinations. It then analyzed each place by 37 metrics, including flight data, safety indicators, weather, and how much there was to do in the area, to find the most affordable, fun, and easiest-to-reach destinations in the U.S.

“The Atlanta metro area is the best cold-weather winter travel destination of 2024, even if it doesn’t get quite as chilly as some of the other cities on the list,” WalletHub reported. “Atlanta has a large number of attractions and an especially high number of shopping centers, spas, food festivals, and restaurants per capita.”

For the winter season, it noted the cheapest flights to Atlanta from major cities require an “average of 0.4 connections” — as in, there are none — and prices start at $278.

“Atlanta ranks in the top half of destinations when it comes to vacation safety, with the 13th-lowest property crime rate and 16th-lowest violent crime rate among the 32 metro areas for cold destinations in our study,” it added. 

Joining Atlanta at the top of the list is New York City, thanks to the fact that it has the cheapest flights from major cities and most involve no connections.

“New York City naturally boasts a ton of attractions, including ones that are perfect for winter vacationers,” WalletHub said. “The metro area has the fifth-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.”

Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Cincinnati round out the top five best cold weather winter destinations in the U.S. But, if you’re more interested in visiting somewhere sunny, WalletHub reported that Las Vegas, San Diego, Austin, and Phoenix are its top five cities for a warm winter vacation.

“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,” Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said. “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.”