Nearly three quarters of Americans are planning on going on vacation this summer, and Houston is climbing up the national hot list of the best summer destinations of 2026.
The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro ranked as the No. 20 best summer travel destination in WalletHub's annual study, which compared 100 of the largest U.S. metro areas across 41 metrics based on travel costs and hassles, local costs, attractions, weather, and activities and safety.
The U.S. metros that scored the top three spots are Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Georgia (No. 1); Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida (No. 2); and Texas neighbor Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos (No. 3).
Houston's 2026 ranking is up 15 spots from last year's report when the city was the 35th best summer travel destination.
Here's how H-Town stacked up in the six main categories:
- No. 7 – Attractions
- No. 13 – Local costs
- No. 24 – Activities
- No. 50 – Weather
- No. 84 – Travel costs and hassles
- No. 90 – Safety
Summer activities may draw in more tourists, but that shouldn't stop Houstonians from exploring their own city. From Fourth of July
celebrations, to a one-night only
hip-hop show, there are plenty of things to do to keep occupied and beat the summer heat in the city. And a trip to the Johnson Space Center, Houston Museum of Natural Science, or the Houston Zoo are always options for locals that want to pretend to be tourists for the day.
Other top Texas summer travel destinations
The Austin metro ranked as the third-best summer travel destination in the U.S., and it's the most conveniently located neighbor from Houston that's less than three hours away.
The study found air travel to Austin — though not entirely cheap — has plenty of short nonstop flights from other major cities, making it an easily reachable destination compared to most other U.S. cities. Austin's reputation as
foodie city and its
outdoor recreational activities also bring in a lot of summer tourism.
"One reason why Austin is a great destination is that it’s really easy to find affordable restaurants that are rated at least 4.5 stars out of 5 on Yelp," the report's author wrote. "Austin offers a mix of culture and outdoor fun, boasting a high number of attractions including the Bullock Texas State History Museum as well as shopping centers, music venues, food festivals and hiking trails."
The suburbs also attract tourists looking for fun things to do that aren't just in central or downtown Austin, like checking out new restaurants in Round Rock and Georgetown.
Visitors taking an extended trip to Texas can also visit San Antonio-New Braunfels and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, which also ranked among the top 25 and landed in the No. 11 and No. 21 spots, respectively.
The top 10 best summer travel destinations in 2026 are:
- No. 1 – Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Georgia
- No. 2 – Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida
- No. 3 – Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas
- No. 4 – Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia
- No. 5 – Urban Honolulu, Hawaii
- No. 6 – Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida
- No. 7 – Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware-Maryland
- No. 8 – Salt Lake City, Utah
- No. 9 – Cincinnati, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana
- No. 10 – Richmond, Virginia
