Best Places to Visit in North America in December 2026
134 North America destinations ranked by December temperature — coolest first. Find a warm-winter beach or a summer escape from the heat.
Coolest
Yellowstone National Park
~-13°C
Median
Sedona
~9°C
Warmest
Tamarindo
~28°C
North America destinations in December, sorted by temperature
Yellowstone National Park
United States
Ilulissat
Greenland
Denali National Park
United States
Quebec City
Canada
Banff
Canada
Glacier National Park
United States
Jasper National Park
Canada
Anchorage
United States
Nuuk
Greenland
Montreal
Canada
Minneapolis
United States
Madison
United States
Burlington
United States
Chicago
United States
Toronto
Canada
Milwaukee
United States
-3°CPark City
United States
-3°CTelluride
United States
-3°CAspen
United States
-3°CBar Harbor
United States
Buffalo
United States
-2°CCrater Lake National Park
United States
-2°CWhistler
Canada
Acadia National Park
United States
Niagara Falls
United States
Detroit
United States
-1°CBryce Canyon National Park
United States
-1°CMount Rainier National Park
United States
Yosemite National Park
United States
Cleveland
United States
0°CLake Tahoe
United States
Boston
United States
Pittsburgh
United States
Indianapolis
United States
Kansas City
United States
New York City
United States
Denver
United States
Salt Lake City
United States
Cincinnati
United States
St. Louis
United States
Boise
United States
2°CNewport
United States
2°CMartha's Vineyard
United States
2°CNantucket
United States
3°CCape Cod
United States
Philadelphia
United States
Santa Fe
United States
Louisville
United States
Annapolis
United States
4°CBranson
United States
Vancouver
Canada
Washington, D.C.
United States
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
United States
Asheville
United States
5°CGatlinburg
United States
Seattle
United States
Nashville
United States
6°CPortland
United States
Albuquerque
United States
6°COlympic National Park
United States
Grand Canyon National Park
United States
Memphis
United States
Charlotte
United States
Raleigh
United States
7°CArches National Park
United States
Atlanta
United States
9°CZion National Park
United States
Sedona
United States
9°CDallas
United States
9°COuter Banks
United States
Napa Valley
United States
10°CMyrtle Beach
United States
San Francisco
United States
American Southwest
United States
Charleston
United States
Austin
United States
Savannah
United States
12°CHilton Head
United States
Mexico City
Mexico
Antigua Guatemala
Guatemala
New Orleans
United States
Guanajuato
Mexico
13°CHouston
United States
13°CSan Antonio
United States
Las Vegas
United States
Tucson
United States
14°CPhoenix
United States
14°CJacksonville
United States
Los Angeles
United States
Lake Atitlán
Guatemala
San Diego
United States
16°CJoshua Tree National Park
United States
San Miguel de Allende
Mexico
Orlando
United States
17°CPalm Springs
United States
18°CMonteverde
Costa Rica
18°CSouth Padre Island
United States
18°CGuadalajara
Mexico
Tampa
United States
19°CCuernavaca
Mexico
Oaxaca
Mexico
Key West
United States
Puerto Vallarta
Mexico
Kauai
United States
22°CViñales
Cuba
Havana
Cuba
Miami
United States
Oʻahu
United States
Maui
United States
Trinidad
Cuba
Big Island
United States
Cabo San Lucas
Mexico
Santo Domingo
Dominican Republic
La Fortuna
Costa Rica
Nassau
Bahamas
24°CManuel Antonio
Costa Rica
24°CPlaya del Carmen
Mexico
Panama City
Panama
Tulum
Mexico
Mérida
Mexico
25°CBelize
Belize
25°CCozumel
Mexico
25°CAntigua
Antigua and Barbuda
Montego Bay
Jamaica
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Cancún
Mexico
Barbados
Barbados
San Juan
Puerto Rico
Turks and Caicos
Turks and Caicos
26°CBocas del Toro
Panama
Aruba
Aruba
Curaçao
Curaçao
Granada
Nicaragua
28°CTamarindo
Costa Rica
Frequently asked
What's the weather like in North America in December?
North America in December ranges from about -13°C (Yellowstone National Park) to 28°C (Tamarindo). Median around 9°C. The exact temperature depends heavily on which destination — coastal vs inland, north vs south, altitude all matter.
Where's the coolest place to visit in North America in December?
Yellowstone National Park, United States averages around -13°C in December — the coolest destination in North America on our list. Worth checking peak/shoulder season too: even with cool temps, December may not be peak for the destination.
Where's the warmest place to visit in North America in December?
Tamarindo, Costa Rica runs around 28°C in December — the warmest destination in North America on our list. If you're chasing summer in winter or beach weather year-round, this is the move.
Is December a good time to visit North America?
Across North America we have 134 destinations with weather data. Whether December is "good" depends on what you're after: cool weather, warm weather, peak season pricing or shoulder. The list below sorts by temperature so you can match destinations to your weather preference.
All months
All North America destinations →
Grouped by peak month, all temperatures.
All regions
Best places in December worldwide →
Every continent at its peak in December.