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Dallas heats up as 3rd best winter travel destination in U.S. for 2024

Visitors to the Dallas Arboretum can enjoy winterscapes inside holiday gazebos.

Photo courtesy of Dallas Arboretum

Mariah Carey isn't the only one defrosting in preparation for the winter season: Dallas-Fort Worth has warmed up as one of WalletHub's top three best warm weather travel destinations for 2024.

Every year, WalletHub's analysts divide nearly 70 of the biggest U.S. metropolitan areas into two categories: the top "warm" and "cold" weather destinations. The study evaluated every metro based on 37 factors, including travel costs, local costs, weather predictions, and safety.

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington earned a score of 68.08 out of 100 possible points to claim the sunny No. 3 spot nationally, finally breaking a three-year stronghold as No. 4, which began in 2021.

DFW landed right behind Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada (No. 1), and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, California (No. 2), and overtook Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown (No. 4). Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Arizona rounded out the top five.

The North Texas metro ranked No. 2 in the national "weather" and "travel costs and hassles" categories, showing major favorability towards DFW Airport and the region's almost year-round sunshine. The metro's relative affordability earned it No. 8 in the "local costs" ranking out of all 69 U.S. metros.

Here's how Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington performed in the remaining three categories:

No. 12 – Attractions rank
No. 13 – Warm weather activities rank
No. 28 – Safety rank

As in previous years, the highest concentration of top warm weather destinations was in Florida (10 metros), followed by Texas (nine metros), then California (eight metros).

Besides DFW and Austin, the only other Texas metro to earn a spot in the top 10 in 2024 was Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land (No. 6), as San Antonio-New Braunfels slipped from No. 5 in 2023 to No. 11 this year.

Atlanta, Georgia ranked No. 1 once again on the list of best cold weather destinations for winter vacations, outdoing New York City, New York (No. 2), Washington, D.C. (No. 3), and Chicago, Illinois (No. 4).

"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," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "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."

The top 10 best warm weather destinations for winter vacations are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada
No. 2 – San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, California
No. 3 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
No. 4 – Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas
No. 5 – Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Arizona
No. 6 – Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, California
No. 8 – Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida
No. 9 – Charleston-North Charleston, South Carolina
No. 10 – Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida

For the purpose of the study, "cold" weather was determined to be less than or equal to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, while "warm" weather was greater than or equal to 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Both guidelines were analyzed based on the 50-year average December temperatures.

The full report and its methodology can be found on wallethub.com.

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airport news

DFW and Love Field saw sharp passenger declines in 2025, per report

Photo by Jim Petkiewicz on Unsplash

DFW is the third most popular destination in the U.S., yet passenger traffic has dropped, according to the report.

A new global airport travel study has revealed passenger traffic at both Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field Airport have sharply decreased from 2024 to 2025.

The analysis from travel magazine LocalsInsider examined recently released data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), the U.S. International Trade Association, and a nationwide survey to determine the following American traveler habits: The most popular U.S. and international destinations, emerging hotspots, and destinations on the decline. The study covered passenger travel trends from January through July 2025.

In the report's ranking of the 40 U.S. airports with the sharpest declines in passenger traffic, Dallas Love Field (DAL) had the 11th steepest drop, while Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) ranked 33rd on the list.

More than 5.13 million arrivals were reported at DAL from January through July 2024, compared to over 4.75 million during the same seven-month period in 2025. According to the data, that's a 7.4 percent drop in passenger traffic year-over-year, or a loss of 380,295 passengers.

DFW had a higher numerical decrease in passenger traffic from 2024 to 2025 – with 578,715 fewer arrivals reported – but it only represents a 2.4 percent drop in arrivals overall. More than 23.83 million passengers arrived in DFW during the first seven months of 2024, compared to 23.25 million this year.

Despite the year-over-year drop in passenger traffic, the report also dubbed DFW as the No. 3 most popular destination in the country for 2025. DFW had the third-highest rate of air passenger traffic out of all U.S. airports from January to May 2025, amounting to 13,853,733 arrivals.

"Despite the rise of secondary airports and new emerging hotspots, the busiest hubs still dominate when it comes to raw passenger traffic," the report's author wrote. "These destinations remain leaders due to a mix of business, tourism, and international connectivity."

Passenger traffic declines at other Texas airports
It appears most major Texas airports had drops in passenger traffic from 2024 to 2025. DAL was the worst offender in the state, and Houston's William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) saw a 7.1 percent decline, representing the second-steepest drop in passenger arrivals in Texas.

Over 4.26 million passengers arrived at HOU from January to July 2024, but that number fell by nearly 301,000 passengers during the same time period this year. Only 3.96 million passengers arrivals were reported at HOU during the first seven months of 2025.

This is how passenger traffic has fallen at other major Texas airports from 2024 to 2025:

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS):

6,107,597 – Passenger arrivals from January to July 2024
5,828,396 – Passenger arrivals from January to July 2025
-4.6 percent – Year-over-year passenger change

San Antonio International Airport (SAT):

2,937,870 – Passenger arrivals from January to July 2024
2,836,774 – Passenger arrivals from January to July 2025
-3.4 percent – Year-over-year passenger change

El Paso International Airport (ELP):

1,094,431 – Passenger arrivals from January to July 2024
1,076,845 – Passenger arrivals from January to July 2025
-1.6 percent – Year-over-year passenger change

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