In Bloom

Texas bluebonnet season expected to be spectacular in spring 2024

Marble Falls bluebonnet field, bluebonnets

Drought may actually be helping this year's crop of wild bluebonnets.

Photo courtesy of Visit Marble Falls

It's almost that time: Texas bluebonnets will soon return for spring 2024. And according to experts, it looks like this year could be a "superb" bloom across the state.

In its 2024 Wildflower Forecast, released February 21, the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center director of horticulture Andrea DeLong-Amaya says, “On a scale from one to 10, this year looks like it could be an eight, for bluebonnets in particular, if not even better.”

Lee Clippard, the center's executive director, says drought conditions for the past several months will help make this a banner blooming season, particularly in the bluebonnet-rich regions of Central Texas.

"Wildflowers like to have little competition in the landscape, so drought has reduced competition from other plants," he says.

Since January, portions of Central Texas have received enough rain to eradicate drought east of Interstate 35. But that doesn't mean those areas won't see bluebonnets. Clippard says the mix of drought last summer and spaced-out rains early this year will be a great combination for blooms this spring.

Texans can also expect to see nice showings of other wildflowers like golden groundsell, Indian Paintbrush, and phlox, the experts say.

While wildflower watchers are posting photos of blooms here and there in Central and Southern parts of the state, Dallas-Fort Worth's bluebonnet season typically runs about two weeks behind Austin and the Hill Country's; it's rare to see them in North Texas before March.

“It’s like a gradient from south to north,” DeLong-Amaya told CultureMap in 2023. “It’s warmer generally as you go south, so they bloom a little bit earlier.”

The most famous bluebonnet spot in North Texas - the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails - had not yet posted any bluebonnet sightings as of February 23. The annual Ennis Bluebonnet Trails will open April 1-30 and the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival take place April 19-21. It typically coincides with peak bluebonnet season in North Texas.

This year, Ennis is expected to be a top destination for solar eclipse tourists on April 8.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com. The Associated Press and Stephanie Allmon Merry contributed to this report.

bluebonnets wildflowers nature hill country

Flying High

DFW soars among 10 most expensive airports in the U.S.

American Airlines Airbus A319-112 Aircraft N177XF at DFW Airport

Getty Images

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Hold on to those carry-on bags: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is checking in as one of the 10 most expensive airports in the U.S., a new study has revealed.

The analysis from digital commerce and marketing platform ConsumerVoice.org compared the average domestic flight costs at the 50 largest U.S. airports, ranking them from highest to lowest. Flight price data was sourced from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) during the first and second quarters of 2026 and compared with the same period in 2025.

Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia tops the list as the priciest major airport in the U.S, with domestic flights at IAD costing $534.34 on average. Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina comes in second place with an average fare cost of $527.79.

DFW Airport lands at No. 9 nationwide, the findings show. The typical domestic flight from DFW costs $489.92, and domestic flights aren't getting any cheaper. Flights out of DFW are nine percent more expensive than they were a year ago, the report found. The average domestic flight at DFW cost $41.03 less in 2025.

North Texans not only need to be prepared to spend a little extra money when booking their tickets; they'll also need to pack their patience, as DFW also ranks the second-worst for flight delays and cancellations.

Travelers on a budget can save more on flights out of Dallas Love Field, which appears at the opposite end of the list as the 42nd most expensive major airport.

"In markets where the cheaper airport is a legitimate alternative to the main hub, such as the Bay Area, Dallas, New York, and Washington, D.C., savings typically range from 19 percent to 24 percent," the report said.

Travelers can save 20.54 percent on their flights by flying through DAL instead of DFW. Domestic flights cost $389.29 on average at DAL, the ninth lowest out of the 50 major airports analyzed. And average fares at Dallas Love Field are just $19.02 more expensive than last year, an increase of only five percent.

The top 10 priciest major airports in the U.S. are:

No. 1 – Washington Dulles International Airport
No. 2 – Charlotte Douglas International Airport
No. 3 – Detroit metro Wayne County Airport
No. 4 – Salt Lake City International
No. 5 – Minneapolis-St. Paul International
No. 6 – San Francisco International
No. 7 – John F. Kennedy International
No. 8 – Newark Liberty International
No. 9 – Dallas/Fort Worth International
No. 10 – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International

flights airports dallas love field dallas fort worth international airport travel

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Flying High

DFW soars among 10 most expensive airports in the U.S.