The 25 Hottest Cities in America
Summer can present a real challenge for city residents wishing to beat the heat.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security data suggests the rising mercury often results in more deaths every year than any other weather-related hazard.
Below, Newsweek counts down the U.S. cities with the hottest average temperatures.
=22. Greeley, Colorado (20.5°C / 68.9°F)
North of Denver and just east of the Rockies is the city of Greeley, which is the most populous municipality of Weld County, Colorado.
The city population was 108,795 at the 2020 U.S. Census, indicating the city has grown significantly in the last decade.
=22. Gallipolis, Ohio (20.5°C / 68.9°F)
Sitting on the southern border with West Virginia, Gallipolis is Ohio's warmest city.
This urbanized area also holds the state's record high of 45°C, set in 1934.
=22. Cambridge, Maryland (20.5°C)
The warmest city in the state of Maryland is situated on the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay.
The city in Dorchester County is one of the most populous urbanized areas in Maryland's Eastern Shore region.
22. Caruthersville, Missouri (20.5°C / 68.9°F)
Caruthersville is the warmest city in Missouri, found on the very southeast corner of Missouri.
This city, in the county seat of Pemiscot County, has a population of just 6,168, according to the 2010 Census.
=20. Bowling Green, Kentucky (21.1°C / 70°F)
Known for its caves, Corvettes and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, Bowling Green is a university city in Kentucky.
The city, boasting historic neighborhoods and national museums about the civil war, is the warmest in the state.
20. Great Bend, Kansas (21.1°C / 70°F)
The county seat of Barton County, Kansas enjoys warm average temperatures all year round.
Almost directly north of Great Bend, the record high was recorded in city in 1936 at a sweat-inducing 49.4°C.
=17. Evansville, Indiana (21.7°C / 71.06°F )
The southern part of the state on the Kentucky border holds Indiana's warmest city.
The city sitting on the Ohio River is home to the Angel Mounds State historic site, which was once home to prehistoric Native Americans.
=17. Newport News, Virginia (21.7°C / 71.1°F)
A city on coastal Virginia's James River waterway occupies the state's top spot as the warmest city.
Virginia's fifth-most populous city hosts approximately 180,700 people, as of 2019.
17. Memphis, Tennessee (22.7°C / 72.9°F)
The home of Graceland and delicious barbecue, Memphis is the warmest city in Tennessee.
The icy is also famous for the influential elements of blues, soul and rock music originating from there, with Elvis Presley, B.B. King and Johnny Cash recording albums at the legendary Sun Studios.
16. Chickasha, Oklahoma (23.8°C/ 74.8°F)
Just southwest of Oklahoma City is the state's warmest city, Chickasha, with a population of approximately 16,000 people.
As well as sweltering temperatures, this beautiful historic town offers an exclusive array of unique attractions.
15. Southport, North Carolina (24.4°C / 75.92°F)
This City south of Wilmington on the Atlantic coast called Southport is North Carolina's warmest state.
Southport is consequently known for its excellent beach weather, with average annual highs of 24.4°C.
=12. Eudora, Arkansas (25°C / 77°F)
Situated in the very southeast corner of the state of Arkanas, Eudora enjoys average high temperatures of 25°C.
The nearby city of Ozark in 1936 experienced the extraordinary highest record temperatures at 48.8°C.
=12. Hobbs and Carlsbad, New Mexico (25°C / 77°F)
Hobbs and Carlsbad, two cities close to the state's southeastern border with Texas, share some of the hottest average temperatures.
These areas in southeast New Mexico are located in the Chihuahuan Desert, near to the beautiful Pecos River.
=12. St. George, Utah (25°C / 77°F)
The very southwest corner of Utah hosts Utah's warmest city.
St. George's average annual high temperatures of 25°C is not that surprising when you factor in its proximity to Nevada and Arizona.
=9. Mobile, Alabama (25.5°C / 77.9°F)
The average high temperature in Mobile is a balmy 25.5°C, a temperature it shares with other areas on that stretch of the Gulf in the southern part of the state.
The port city on Alabama's Gulf Coast is also known for its centuries-old Mardi Gras tradition.
=9. Columbia, South Carolina (25.5°C / 77.9°F)
The capital of South Carolina is also the state's warmest city.
Columbia's average annual high is 25.5°C, while the record high in the state was set in 2012, in Camden, at a sweltering 45°C.
=9. Picayune, Mississippi (25.5°C / 77.9°F)
Despite boasting a population of only 11,000, Picayune is the largest city in Pearl River County, Mississippi.
This state's warmest city has an average annual high of 25.5°C, which feels even warmer due to the humidity.
=7. Thomasville, Georgia (26°C / 78.8°F)
Landlocked Thomasville in the western part of Georgia near the Florida border, registers the warmest annual high temperature at 26°C.
Known as the "City of Roses", Thomasville is the second-largest city in southwest Georgia.
=7. Lafayette, Louisiana (26°C / 78.8°F)
Lafayette is the most populous and parish seat of Lafayette Parish.
This warm city is known as the heart of Cajun Country and is the cultural center of Louisiana's heritage.
=5. Fort Myers, Florida (29.4°C / 84.9°F)
The commercial center of Lee County, Florida, enjoys an average temperature of 29.4°C.
The state's Royal Palm visitor center in Everglades National Park records the highest non-city average temperature at 31.6°C.
=5. Waikiki, Hawaii (29.4°C / 84.9°F)
Waikiki, on the island of Oahu, has the best beach weather in the state, with an average high of 29.4°C.
Somewhat unexpectedly, the highest recorded temperature in Hawaii is reportedly only 37°C, the lowest record high of all the states.
4. McAllen, Texas (30°C)
The warmest city in Texas is unsurprisingly on the southern border with Mexico.
The city is famous for its International Museum of Art And Science and its woodlands rich in birdlife.
3. Laughlin, Nevada (30.5°C / 86°F)
Laughlin is an unincorporated resort town and census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada.
Sitting at the very southern tip of the state, Laughlin is a full 7 degrees warmer on average than Las Vegas and is also where the state's highest temperature, 51°C, was recorded.
2. El Centro, California (31.1°C /88°F)
Just north of the Mexican border on the eastern half of the state is where California's highest average temperature of 31.1°C is found.
The highest recorded temperature in the U.S. was also recorded in the state's aptly named Furnace Creek in 1913, set at 56.6°C.
1. Yuma, Arizona (31.6°C / 88.9°F)
All of Arizona's hottest average temperatures come in the very western part of the state.
Yuma's record average temperature is made a little more bearable due to the city's proximity to a large river, which is thought to have a slight cooling effect.
