Best Places To Visit in USA By Month
Wondering what are the Best Places To Visit In USA By Month? You’re not alone; this is a common question I get asked by a lot of my readers. I commend everyone asking this question because it’s crucial to know about your destination and plan accordingly.
US is massive in size, with diverse geography and climate, and because of this, no matter what time of the year, you can always find a place you can visit in US. However, you will find extreme climate conditions in some parts of the US, and so it’s an absolute must to know the weather before you travel.
Overview of USA's Weather
To better answer the question – What are the Best Places To Visit In USA By Month, I want to start by giving you an overview of USA’s weather. I have created the following map with average annual temperatures across the US by state. Blue indicates regions with cooler average temperatures, dark blue being the coldest, and orange shows warmer areas, dark orange/red being the warmest. I have created the map using approximate average temperatures across the US; for more specific temperature readings, please visit the National Climatic Data Center Website.
Now, let’s correlate the average annual temperatures, with the four distinct seasons in the US, to find out what are the best places to visit in USA by month and by season.
Best Places To Visit in USA By Season & Month
Spring is the season succeeding winter and preceding summer, and this is when the temperatures begin to warm up around the country. Even though spring marks the end of winter, I would recommend avoiding some of the northern, northeastern, midwestern, and some parts of western regions, that are highlighted in dark blue in the above map.
Best places to visit in USA in the months of March-May: If you’re looking to spend time outdoors, sightseeing, then I would recommend the following states –
West: California (excluding western mountains), Nevada, Hawaii
Southwest: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona
Midwest: Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas
Southeast: West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida
Northeast: New York, New Jersey, Delaware
Summer, the hottest of all seasons, opens up the doors to several other destinations in the US. However, I recommend avoiding a few places due to the extreme heat, especially the ones that are highlighted in dark orange/red in the above map.
Best places to visit in USA during the months of June-August:
West: Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, California, Alaska
Southwest: Oklahoma, New Mexico
Midwest: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota
Southeast: West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas
Northeast: Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland
Fall, also known as autumn, marks the transition from summer to the winter season. The temperatures begin to fall, days shorten, and it brings along some spectacular fall foliage. You could still visit a lot of places in US in fall, except few that are marked in dark blue on the map.
Best places to visit in USA during the months of September-November:
West: Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, California, Hawaii
Southwest: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona
Midwest: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota
Southeast: West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida
Northeast: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland
Winter, the coldest season of the year, is mild in the southern part but is harsh on the northern, northeastern, and midwestern regions of US. Even though cold weather and snow limit our options, but there are still many places to see in the US in winter. Except the ones marked in blue on the map.
Best places to visit in USA during the months of December-February:
West: California, Hawaii
Southeast: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida
Northeast: Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C.
Search Destinations in USA By Month Or Region
| Month | Season | West | Southwest | Midwest | Southeast | Northeast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Winter | California, Hawaii | Texas, Oklahoma | Missouri, Kansas | North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida | Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C. |
| February | Winter | California, Hawaii | Texas and Oklahoma | Missouri, Kansas | North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida | Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C. |
| March | Spring | California, Nevada, Hawaii | Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona | Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas | West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida | New York, New Jersey, Delaware |
| April | Spring | California, Nevada, Hawaii | Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona | Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas | West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida | New York, New Jersey, Delaware |
| May | Spring | California, Nevada, Hawaii | Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona | Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas | West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida | New York, New Jersey, Delaware |
| June | Summer | Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, California, Alaska | Oklahoma, New Mexico | Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota | West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas | Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland |
| July | Summer | Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, California, Alaska | Oklahoma, New Mexico | Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota | West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas | Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland |
| August | Summer | Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, California, Alaska | Oklahoma, New Mexico | Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota | West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas | Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland |
| September | Fall | Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, California, Hawaii | Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona | Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota | West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida | Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland |
| October | Fall | Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, California, Hawaii | Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona | Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota | West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida | Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland |
| November | Fall | Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, California, Hawaii | Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona | Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota | West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida | Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland |
| December | Winter | California, Hawaii | Texas and Oklahoma | Missouri, Kansas | North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida | Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C. |
I hope you enjoyed reading the post, Best Places To Visit In USA By Month, and I expect this will help you in finding your next travel destination, no matter what time of the year it is!
There are several other resources to help you plan your travel, including My Travel Planning Checklist, The Ultimate Carry-On Packing Guide, Must-Have Travel Gear Guide, Travel Reward Credit Cards, Ultimate Collection of Inspirational Quotes & Sayings, and more.