Top US Cities for Quick Summer Trips in 2020

As summer draws to a close and the COVID-19 pandemic in America shows no signs of slowing, people are suffering increased feelings of isolation and burnout. With the grander types of summer getaways to which we’ve become accustomed now being off the table, Hotwire’s recent release of its 2020 'America's Best Cities for a Quickie' index could help you find some last-minute, closer-to-home alternatives for letting off some steam.

The index ranks 40 U.S. destinations that are great for shorter, two to three-night getaways, based on some traditional and some new factors for 2020. While usual considerations like sightseeing and tourism attractions were taken into account, this year, the study looked at more pressing factors like driveability, savings on last-minute bookings, and population density, as people endeavor to maintain safe personal distancing and avoid crowds.

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Hotwire has discovered that key changes in U.S. travelers’ travel planning strategies and key considerations this year have shifted to more travel by car (50 percent), visiting less-crowded spots (43 spots), staying fairly close to home in case of emergency (26 percent) and informing themselves about their hotels’ sanitation procedures (29 percent).

"No one is certain how much longer COVID-19 will disrupt travel plans, so quick getaways can help Americans enjoy a change of scenery right now without making major commitments," said Nick Graham, head of Hotwire.

"In the midst of everything, Americans are craving a much-needed break. We're seeing that people are taking certain precautions such as staying within driving distance of home and waiting until the last minute to book so there's no risk of their plans changing.”

To create the 'America’s Best Cities for a Quickie' index, over 300 cities were analyzed from coast-to-coast, compiling over 10,000 data points to rank the top ten destinations for “quickie” vacations in each of four categories: ‘Major Metropolises’, ‘Mid-Size Must-Sees’, ‘Small Town Favorites’ and ‘Itty Bitty Cities’.

Major Metropolises

Las Vegas, Nevada

San Francisco, California

Washington, D.C.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Seattle, Washington

Memphis, Tennessee

Indianapolis, Indiana

Austin, Texas

Denver, Colorado

Portland, Oregon

Mid-Size Must-Sees

St. Louis, Missouri

Tampa, Florida

Atlanta, Georgia

Arlington, Virginia

Tucson, Arizona

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Miami, Florida

Cincinnati, Ohio

Small Town Favorites

Orlando, Florida

Scottsdale, Arizona

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Reno, Nevada

Salt Lake City

Springfield, Missouri

Madison, Wisconsin

Shreveport, Louisiana

Tallahassee, Florida

Toledo, Ohio

Itty Bitty Cities

Charleston, South Carolina

Newport Beach, California

Santa Barbara, California

South Bend, Indiana

Sarasota, Florida

Savannah, Georgia

Temecula, California

Troy, Alabama

Wilmington, Delaware

Atlantic City, New Jersey

For more information, visit quickie.hotwire.com.