The 10 Best (And Worst) U.S. Cities To Take A Staycation

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You don’t need to burn any miles to get in a solid vacation—or at least a killer  Fridays Personal finance website WalletHub has shared its yearly list of best (and worst) spots to spend those personal days.

WalletHub defines a staycation as a time lasting about four days (hello, long weekend). The destinations on its lists are derived from a 100-city ranking of America’s most densely populated cities using 17 metrics, including number of swimming pools, tennis courts, public golf courses, zoos, museums, and more. Based on these metrics, each city is assigned three numerical rankings: Recreation, Food & Entertainment, and Rest & Relaxation. A majority of the spots are sprinkled throughout the South, but there are a few wildcards thrown in here and there (ahem, Boise). 

10 Worst U.S. Cities for Staycations

10. Laredo, Texas
• Recreation Rank: 92
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 99
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 39

9. Newark, New Jersey
• Recreation Rank: 82
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 87
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 90

8. North Las Vegas, Nevada
• Recreation Rank: 94
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 84
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 67

7. Hialeah, Florida
• Recreation Rank: 93
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 96
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 71

6. San Bernardino, California
• Recreation Rank: 97
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 90
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 57

5.  Jersey City, New Jersey
• Recreation Rank: 99
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 95
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 69

4.  Fremont, California
• Recreation Rank: 90
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 100
• Rest & Relaxation Rank:  86

3.  Anaheim, California
• Recreation Rank: 98
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 94
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 84

2.  Santa Ana, California
• Recreation Rank: 100
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 83
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 191

1.  Chula Vista, California
• Recreation Rank: 95
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 97
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 100

10 Best U.S. Cities for Staycations

10. Las Vegas, Nevada
• Recreation Rank: 48
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 1
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 14

9. Portland, Oregon
• Recreation Rank: 16
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 3
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 38

8. Tampa, Florida
• Recreation Rank: 25
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 18
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 1

7. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Recreation Rank: 9
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 2
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 24

6. St. Louis, Missouri
• Recreation Rank: 6
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 9
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 12

5. Boise, Idaho
• Recreation Rank: 2
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 20
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 7

4. Scottsdale, Arizona
• Recreation Rank: 21
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 4
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 5

3. Cincinnati, Ohio
• Recreation Rank: 1
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 10
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 16

2. Atlanta, Georgia
• Recreation Rank: 4
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 22
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 2

1. Orlando, Florida
• Recreation Rank: 13
• Food & Entertainment Rank: 7
• Rest & Relaxation Rank: 4

By Erika Owen,  the Audience Engagement Editor at Travel + Leisure. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @erikaraeowen.