The Best US Cities for Summer Vacation

Rounding out the top 10, Springfield, Missouri ranks fourth for the lowest costs and fewest hassles and fifth for the lowest local costs. The former category considers factors such as the cost and duration of the cheapest flight, the number of connections on the cheapest flight and the share of delayed flights while the latter takes into account things like the cost of living, average gas prices, the lowest nightly rate for a three-star hotel room and the average price of a two-person meal.

The Richmond metro area fares quite well across the board, ranking no worse than 43rd in any of the six categories analyzed. Virginia's capital city ranks 22nd for local costs and 24th for travel costs and hassles. The destination offers plenty of fascinating history lessons as well as a plethora of nature experiences in and around the James River. 

No surprises here. The Theme Park Capital of the World ranks an impressive eighth on WalletHub's list. The Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida metro area finished tops in the nation for activities, which considers a multitude of factors including restaurants, public beaches, amusement parks, water parks and hiking trails per capita and quality of parks. 

Orlando has some stiff competition in the Sunshine State this summer, with the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area finishing seventh overall. The destination is beloved for its beautiful beaches and boasts activities in bunches, ranking 12th in the category. 

The Windy City will be quite popular once again this summer. According to WalletHub's research, it ranks as the sixth-best U.S. travel destination, finishing third for attractions and fifth for activities. The attractions category weighs the number of attractions and diversity of attractions evenly. 

Another big city, New York overcomes its price tag on the strength of its wide-ranging activities and attractions, where it ranks second and seventh, respectively. The city is also a dynamic destination in terms of summer events, with visitors able to look forward to music festivals, sports showdowns and so much more. 

Ranking fourth overall, Wichita ranks as the fifth-safest destination that WalletHub analyzed. It's also one of the most affordable getaways, ranking seventh nationwide for travel costs and hassles and sixth in terms of local costs. 

The nation's capital and the surrounding destinations of Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia will be bustling this summer, offering visitors a safe space (second), ideal weather (19th) and plenty to see and do (15th for attractions and 17th for activities) at an affordable price and minimal headaches (21st for travel costs and hassles).

Urban Honolulu ranks sixth or better in four of the six categories analyzed, including sixth for travel costs and hassles, first for weather, second for activities and fourth for safety. Local costs is the Hawaiian capital's only downfall, with Honolulu ranking 96th out of the 100 destinations examined. 

The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta metro area in Georgia ranks as the best summer travel destination in the U.S. this year. Despite finishing 55th for safety, this region ranks 20th or better in the remaining five categories, including eighth for activities and ninth for travel costs and hassles.