Dallas has climbed through the ranks to land as the No. 4 best city for celebrating Turkey Day festivities, according to a just-released WalletHub study.

WalletHub’s annual “Best Places to Go for Thanksgiving” ranking compares the 100 largest U.S. cities to discover which have the ultimate Thanksgiving celebrations and traditions, and the best holiday weather, affordability, safety, and accessibility.

A total of 18 relevant metrics were measured for each city’s ranking; factors that were considered include the number of pumpkin patches per capita, the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner, the share of delayed flights around the Thanksgiving holiday, the number of volunteer opportunities per capita, and more.

San Antonio claimed the top spot as the No. 1 best city to go to for Thanksgiving in 2025.

Dallas has been on the rise on this important list: In 2024, it leapt into the top five for the first time, after previously ranking No. 17 in 2023.

WalletHub says Dallas has the second-best Thanksgiving celebrations and traditions nationwide, which may come as no surprise given the dozens of local restaurants hosting their own Turkey Day feasts this year. Plus, families can get into the holiday spirit visiting all the Christmas light shows lighting up Dallas-Fort Worth this season.

Dallas additionally earned high marks in the categories for weather (No. 9), affordability (No. 28) and “giving thanks” (No. 33). The city’s lowest-ranked category was for safety and accessibility: Dallas’ Thanksgiving safety ranked 96th out of all 100 U.S. cities.

Other Turkey Day destinations in Texas
Dallas neighbors Irving (No. 6) and Plano (No. 7) also claimed spots among the top-10 best destinations for Thanksgiving this year. Garland (No. 21), Arlington (No. 41), and Fort Worth (No. 50) all ranked among the top 50.

Other Texas cities that made it in the top 100 best places to go for Thanksgiving in 2025 include Corpus Christi (No. 11), Houston (No. 12), Austin (No. 16), Lubbock (No. 37), Laredo (No. 73), and El Paso (No. 77).

Laredo and Corpus Christi also earned extra nods for having the cheapest and second-cheapest costs for a Thanksgiving dinner, respectively.

The top 10 best places to go for Thanksgiving in 2025 are:

  • No. 1 – San Antonio, Texas
  • No. 2 – Atlanta, Georgia
  • No. 3 – Virginia Beach, Virginia
  • No. 4 – Dallas, Texas
  • No. 5 – Scottsdale, Arizona
  • No. 6 – Irving, Texas
  • No. 7 – Plano, Texas
  • No. 8 – Louisville, Kentucky
  • No. 9 – Las Vegas, Nevada
  • No. 10 – Chesapeake, Virginia