This U.S. City Was Named the Best Destination for a Winter Wonderland Getaway — What to Know

Now is the perfect time to start dreaming about those perfect little winter getaways. And, according to a new study by the travel website Miss Tourist, there’s one adorable place you should be booking flights to right now as the temperatures drop — no passport required.  

In late October, the website revealed the findings of its analysis of America’s dream winter staycation spots, and Toledo, Ohio, took the top spot. 

The team analyzed data from Tripadvisor, Open-Meteo, and Eventbrite to find the average hotel price for a single night’s stay, average daily snowfall, and number of winter activities for the 100 most populous cities in America. Each city was scored out of 100 based on these three metrics, and those with the highest score determined the final ranking.

“Toledo, Ohio, ranks first, with an index score of 82.64 out of 100,” the team explained.
“From a total of 116 reviewed hotels, Toledo’s average price was $96.77 per night in 2024. The city recorded an average daily snowfall of 0.16mm between 2020 and 2023 and had a total of 443 winter-related activities.” 

Those winter-related activities include snowshoeing and ice skating right in the middle of the city, going on a self-guided beer tasting of its many microbreweries, or visiting one of its many maker’s markets and fairs throughout the season. 

Also joining Toledo is Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in second with a score of 72.11 out of 100 and an average nightly price for a hotel room in 2024 at $123.3. It’s followed by Baltimore, Maryland; Garland, Texas; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Plano, Texas; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Newark, New Jersey; and Buffalo, New York. These spots, Yulia Saf, founder of Miss Tourist, shared, show that there’s really a winter destination within reach no matter where you live in the U.S.

“Winter staycations are becoming increasingly popular in America. As the colder months approach, people are looking for cozy, convenient getaways without venturing too far from home,” Saf said. “The top ten destinations cover a large part of the country and are easily accessible to most of the population.” However, if you’re hoping to escape the cold this winter, we’ve got you covered, too. Check out the 15 best warm places to travel to this winter here.