10 of the hottest cities across the United States
From the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the deserts of the Southwest, here are the hottest cities to live in across the United States.
Transportation officials in Arizona say a special treatment on residential streets to reduce heat absorption is paying off and this summer they hit a milestone.
Some of the biggest cities across the United States are also among the hottest places to be during the summer. Even the hottest cities don't compare to Death Valley, famous for its extreme heat, but millions of city residents can still experience dangerous heat on a regular basis in June, July and August.
From the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the deserts of the Southwest, here are 10 of the hottest cities across the U.S. with a population over 250,000.
Phoenix
Phoenix is home to over 1.6 million people and regularly experiences some of the highest temperatures of any city in the country. The temperature climbs above the 100-degree mark on a daily basis from the end of May through the middle of September, with the mercury occasionally flirting with the 120-degree mark on the hottest summer days.
Downtown Phoenix skyline with the South and Sierra Estrella mountain ranges in the background. (Photo credit: Getty Images)
These blistering hot days are followed by warm nights, with the low temperature sometimes failing to drop below 90.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas is a popular tourist destination in the southwestern U.S., and visitors can expect heat when they visit in summer months. The city averages over 70 days a year with temperatures in the triple digits, and it set a new all-time heat record of 120 degrees in 2024.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 26: General views of the Las Vegas Sign on June 26, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
People traveling to popular tourist destinations nearby, such as Red Rock Canyon or the Hoover Dam, should also prepare for extreme heat and take safety precautions.
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona, sits on the edge of the Sonoran Desert and is nearly as hot as Phoenix, located 100 miles to the northwest. One of Tucson's hottest summers in recent years occurred in 2013 when the temperature climbed into the 100s for 39 consecutive days, including all of June.
A desert dust storm, also known as a haboob, rolling into a neighborhood. (Photo/Getty Images)
Thunderstorms can provide temporary breaks in the extreme summer heat, but they can also kick up dust storms, called haboobs, that reduce visibility and cause dangerous travel conditions.
Riverside, California
While the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean help to limit temperatures along coastal areas of Southern California, people living farther inland can experience much hotter conditions.
Riverside, California, approximately 50 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, has recorded triple-digit heat every month from March through November. The all-time high temperature of 118 is higher than that of Tucson, and just a few degrees shy of the heat records in Phoenix and Las Vegas.
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is home to around 1.5 million people and experiences long stretches with temperatures in the 90s during the height of summer. The city frequently experiences temperatures above the 90-degree mark more than 110 days out of the year, as well as several days in the low 100s.
The historical average high temperature of 97 degrees in August is one of the highest averages among major cities across the entire country.
Miami
Although the mercury in South Florida doesn’t climb as high as it does in the southwestern U.S. during the summer, Miami’s proximity to the tropics can make it feel boiling hot, especially for those not accustomed to the high humidity levels.
Miami has only recorded a temperature of 100 once since 1895, but the strong summer sun paired with the humidity can send the AccuWeather RealFeel® temperature over 110 on the hottest afternoons of the year.
Aerial view of palm trees framing the city skyline on Oct. 27, 2021 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Miami is also one of the warmest cities in the country during the winter, with afternoon temperatures often ranging from the mid-70s to the low 80s.
Houston
Tropical moisture from the Gulf has a strong influence on the weather pattern along the coast of Texas, including in Houston, the state’s most populated city with over 2 million people. The humidity can boost the AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature above 100 on a daily basis.
Moisture from the Gulf also helps to fuel rain and thunderstorms, making Houston the wettest of the county's hottest cities, with rain falling on more than 100 days in a given year.
Fresno, California
Outside of the deserts in California, the Central Valley is the state’s hottest region with temperatures often reaching the triple digits. This includes Fresno, home to over half a million people.
In 2018, the city experienced 30 consecutive days with a temperature at or above the 100-degree mark, the longest stretch in the city’s history.
Dallas
Located farther inland from the Gulf than Houston or San Antonio, Dallas can experience some of the hottest weather of all of the major cities in Texas. Being farther away from the source of tropical moisture allows temperatures to be slightly higher than near the coast with daily highs in the mid- to upper 90s from the end of June into early September.
Aerial photograph of the Dallas skyline at sunrise (Getty Images/Westend61)
Although the summer heat can be more intense in Dallas than in Houston or San Antonio, the city experiences colder winters with temperatures frequently dipping below freezing.
Orlando, Florida
One of Florida’s hottest cities is also one of its most popular tourist spots, with more than 75 million people visiting in 2024. Unlike Miami, temperatures in Orlando can occasionally reach the 100-degree mark with an all-time record high of 103.
Overnight temperatures also remain high, as it rarely dips below 60 from June through September. Orlando also remains warm throughout the winter with afternoon highs in the 70s and overnight lows that rarely drop below 30.
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