America’s Sunniest Cities Are Travel Hot Spots
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People have worshipped the sun since the 14th century B.C. Without the sun, life wouldn’t exist on Earth. It keeps us warm, gives us light and gives life to vegetation on our planet. It has also been found to stimulate serotonin that keeps us happy, focused and calm.
It’s no wonder the most popular vacations are to sunny destinations and that some of the largest cities in the country are in sun-filled states. But just where are the sunniest cities in the U.S.?
Move.org tallied up the annual days of sun found in American cities and found the following to be the sunniest. Take a look.
40. Charlotte, North Carolina (tie)
Annual Sunshine: 235 days
North Carolina’s Piedmont region is quickly growing with businesses that enjoy lower costs found in the Southeast, but plenty of people are also relocating to enjoy the great weather.
Summers can get hot and humid, but fall, winter and spring are very mild, with the lowest temps found in January just falling before freezing. Plus, this city’s location between the beach and the mountains provides ample choices of things to see and do.
40. San Juan, Puerto Rico (tie)
Annual Sunshine: 235 days
Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States, giving travelers a chance to travel to the Caribbean without a passport.
Sun, sea and sizzling temps — the average mean temperature in San Juan is 85 degrees Fahrenheit — are just about perfect for an upcoming vacay, and there are plenty of oceanfront resorts and adventures to be found along the turquoise blue waters or the rainforest-covered land.
39. Wichita, Kansas
Annual Sunshine: 236.5 days
Wichita is also a very mild-weather city, and beyond its sun-filled days, temps average highs of 68 and lows of 46.
Located in south-central Kansas, Wichita is home to botanical gardens, a large zoo and the living history Old Cowtown Museum that can be enjoyed year-round because you won’t mind strolling the grounds in weather like this.
37. Valentine, Nebraska (tie)
Annual Sunshine: Nearly 237 days
This small town may not garner much attention on the tourism circuit, but with the sun shining on them as they enjoy Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge’s prairies and waterfall, the residents don’t mind keeping their town a secret.
Like Wichita, Valentine’s average highs are a mild 62 degrees. Winter may drop to an average 34, and the town gets an average of 38 inches of snow, but that doesn’t keep the sun away very long.