Website WalletHub has just named Cincinnati the nation's eighth best "Cold Destination for Winter Travel," according to its study of "37 key metrics" of 70 large U.S. cities grouped by both warm- and cold-weather destinations.
WalletHub said of the study, "Compared with other rankings that focus on each destination’s scenic quality, this report focuses primarily on the cost and convenience of traveling to each location as well as its affordability. It also ensures that the number of attractions and variety of activities in each destination will keep everyone busy and entertained throughout the trip."
So what makes Cincinnati so icy fun? The study looked at those 37 key metrics — things like expense, accessibility of travel, weather forecasts, safety, variety of activities, etc. — and gave the Queen City the following rankings (1 is the best; 16 is average):
- Travel Costs & Hassles: 5
- Local Costs: 4
- Attractions: 17
- Weather: 14
- Cold-Weather Activities: 11
- Safety: 9
We were beat out by the following Tri-State areas (No. 1 through 7): Chicago/Naperville/Elgin; Washington, D.C./Arlington/Alexandria; Atlanta/Sandy Springs/Roswell; Philadelphia/Camden/Wilmington; Denver/Aurora/Lakewood; Boston/Cambridge/Newtown; and St. Louis.
Here's a little interactive map if you want to see more rankings:
And if you're interested in leaving chilly Cincinnati and want to know which city was the top warm-weather destination? It's Austin, Texas.
