Summer Staycation

Houston deemed one of America's best summer travel destinations for 2019

Houston is a top destination because of its low travel costs and hassles, and attractions.

Photo by Slight Clutter Photography/Katya Horne

It's hot outside, the kids are getting restless, and you haven't figured out what the family's doing this summer. If that's your current predicament, or will be in the coming weeks, consider this: just stay home.

Hear us out. A new study from personal finance website WalletHub ranked the best summer destinations in the U.S., and the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land area lands in the No. 19 spot.

The report, which considered the 100 largest U.S. metro areas, "focuses primarily on the cost and convenience of traveling to each location as well as its affordability." It also "take[s] into account the number of attractions and variety of activities in each destination to ensure visitors will stay busy and entertained throughout the trip."

The study ranks Houston across six major categories. The Bayou City does best in travel costs and hassles (No. 8), and attractions (No. 16), but could improve in activities (No. 32), weather (No. 50), local cost (No. 58), and safety (No. 78). 

Not feeling a Houston staycation? These other Texas metros could be an alternative.

Austin-Round Rock ranks No. 2 overall, faring best in travel costs and hassles (No. 11), attractions (No. 11), and activities (No. 17). Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington ranks No. 5 overall, doing best in travel costs and hassles (No. 6), local costs (No. 17), and attractions (No. 22).

San Antonio-New Braunfels ranks No. 12 overall, performing best in local costs (No. 7), attractions (No. 19), and travel costs and hassles (No. 23). A surprising entry, El Paso ranks No. 18 overall, with strong showings in local costs (No. 3), weather (No. 10), and safety (No. 23).

The No. 1 summer destination title goes to Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida. On the other end of the spectrum, the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, California, metro area places in the unenviable, dead-last spot.

road rage is so 2024

Texas steers onto new list of 10 best states to drive in

Photo by freddie marriage on Unsplash

Driving in Texas doesn't have to be all bad. There are some beautiful sights to see, such as Big Bend National Park.

A new report is silencing traffic complainers by ranking Texas the ninth best state to drive in the country.

The WalletHub study, "Best & Worst States to Drive in (2025)" compared all 50 states based on 31 key metrics in four categories: Cost of ownership and maintenance; traffic and infrastructure; safety; and access to vehicles and maintenance.

The top three best states for driving are Kansas (No. 1), Idaho (No. 2), and Indiana (No. 3).

Texas performed the best with its "access to vehicles and maintenance" rank, earning No. 3 overall, and earned fair placements in the nationwide categories for "safety" (No. 17) and "cost of ownership and maintenance" (No. 19).

WalletHub determined Texas has the fourth-highest number of auto repair shops per capita in the U.S., and the state landed in a three-way tie for the No. 1 most car washes per capita alongside California and Florida.

The Lone Star State also has the third-lowest average gas prices, according to the study. AAA says the current average price for gas in Texas is $2.72 per gallon for regular, compared to $2.68 a year ago. National average gas prices come out to about $3.13.

However, the state flopped hard in the national comparison of states with the best "traffic and infrastructure" and ranked No. 43 overall.

Transportation data company Inrix, Inc. says traffic congestion cost the average driver $771 in 2024, and drivers also lost 43 hours of their lives (on average) due to sitting in traffic. Ouch.

"On top of having pricey gas, maintenance and insurance expenses, some states can hurt you even more financially with excessive traffic congestion, which wastes both your fuel and your productivity," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "The best states to drive in are ones that are relatively rural, with smaller populations, a low cost of living, well-maintained roads and safe motorists."

If we ignore the state's recent inclement weather - and the familiar annoyance of being stuck in bumper to bumper traffic - there's plenty to enjoy about driving in Texas. It's vast landscape allows for some incredible sightseeing during a summer road trip, or while taking a scenic drive through the Twisted Sisters in the Hill Country.

According to the study's rankings, Texans can be glad they aren't driving in Hawaii (No. 50), Washington (No. 49), or Montana (No. 48), which were dubbed the three worst states for driving.

The top 10 best states for driving in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Kansas
No. 2 – Idaho
No. 3 – Indiana
No. 4 – Iowa
No. 5 – Oklahoma
No. 6 – Alabama
No. 7 – North Carolina
No. 8 – Ohio
No. 9 – Texas
No. 10 – Tennessee

reports texas driving wallethub