US Cities With the Mildest Temperatures

There are clear winners in the United States for cities with the mildest temperatures year round. Californian cities dominate the top of the rankings for pleasant temperatures. But cities with plenty of days at wonderful temperatures can be found across the nation.

Here you'll find temperature data and rankings for the major cities in America with the mildest weather. These cities have the greatest number of days a year with daytime temperatures that are just right: neither too hot, nor too cold. Other lists here identify which cities enjoy the most warm nights and the longest frost-free season.

These ratings use long-term temperature averages based on weather data collected from 1991 to 2020 for the US National Centers for Environmental Information. The major cities included in these weather rankings represent the 56 metropolitan areas in the United States with the most people, all those with over one million residents in 2020, according to the US Census Bureau.

Mildest Days

When it comes to ideal daytime temperatures, no other large US city rivals San Diego. Nearly every day, 319 a year on average, warms up into the range of 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, one that's quite comfortable for most people. Several other California cities enjoy well over 200 days a year at those temperatures.

Pleasant temperatures are common too in cities scattered from Virginia to Louisiana to Washington state. The 15 major cities listed below typically see over 130 days annually with enjoyable daytime temperatures.

Number of days per year on average with a maximum temperature between 60 and 80 °F (16 - 27 °C)

City	Days
San Diego, California	319
San Francisco, California	261
San Jose, California	231
Los Angeles, California	231
Riverside, California	158
Seattle, Washington	146
Sacramento, California	143
Atlanta, Georgia	141
Virginia Beach, Virginia	139
Portland, Oregon	137
Charlotte, North Carolina	136
Raleigh, North Carolina	135
Birmingham, Alabama	134
New Orleans, Louisiana	133
Fresno, California	132

City links take you to more detailed information on temperatures for that location. You can also view a summary of temperature averages for all major US cities and city temperatures in recent years and a complete list of America's 56 largest urban centers.

Most Warm Nights

Pleasant nights follow most mild days in San Diego and Los Angeles. Both cities average over 280 nights a year when it cools off into the 50s or 60s Fahrenheit. Another 12 US cities have over 145 nights a year when the temperature remains at a level that is neither too chilly nor too sweltering.

Average days per year with minimum temperature of 50 to 70 °F (10 - 21 °C)

City	Days a Year
San Diego, California	297
Los Angeles, California	285
San Francisco, California	224
Riverside, California	201
Sacramento, California	199
San Jose, California	193
Fresno, California	179
Orlando, Florida	172
Tampa, Florida	163
Charlotte, North Carolina	156
Atlanta, Georgia	154
Jacksonville, Florida	153
Birmingham, Alabama	150
Raleigh, North Carolina	149

Cities Without Frost

Frost is uncommon or nonexistent in many major US cities. Four that normally never have frost are Honolulu, Hawaii, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco in California and Miami, Florida. Three more have very few frosty nights: Phoenix, Arizona and Tampa and Orlando. The frost-free season also usually lasts longer than 300 days at Las Vegas, Houston, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Sacramento, San Jose and Riverside.