Now that the summer’s heat has fully sunk in and the urge to flee from 100-degree highs has kicked in, it’s not a surprise many Arizonans spend the summer months as far from the state’s searing summer heat as possible.
Whether it’s a short jaunt up U.S. 93 to the Sin City or a longer trek to Chicago and Denver, a clear theme emerges when you read about where residents of the Grand Canyon State love to visit the most.
BetArizona.com took a break from covering Arizona sportsbooks and utilized Google Trends to determine the most searched cities by each state utilizing the term “Flights To” and finding the most often searched city at the end of the phrase.
After completing the trends over the past 12 months (from June 25, 2022, to June 25, 2023), we were able to find results to get the top 3 cities for the state of Arizona.
It’s worth noting cities within the state were not included.
Arizona’s Favorite Cities to Visit
Arizonans Still Enjoy Traveling to Las Vegas
Despite the newfound popularity of Arizona sportsbook apps, Las Vegas tops the list as the No. 1 spot for Arizonans to visit given the city’s short distance from the state’s population centers.
Between the relatively short drive and bountiful entertainment options, Las Vegas provides a plethora of indoor options to escape the heat — despite the fact Sin City is only a few degrees cooler than the summertime high temperatures Arizonans deal with on a daily basis.
After Las Vegas, the other two metropolises that made the cut for Arizonans were Chicago and Denver.
Given the wide range of flights between Phoenix and the two cities, as well as the reprieve from the state’s heat, both are natural fits as a summertime destination.
Throw in the dining and sports scene in the Windy City and the outdoor activities that are at your beck and call along the Front Range of Colorado and you have a natural explanation as to why so many Arizona residents choose Chicago and Denver as their destination.
Whether it be a night at the casinos of Las Vegas, the friendly confines of Wrigley Field in Chicago or in one of Denver’s myriad of city neighborhoods, Arizonans have a clear pecking order when it comes to their travel plans.
Author
Christopher Boan is the lead writer at BetArizona.com after covering sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
