Several North Texas cities – including Dallas, Irving, and Plano – have climbed through the ranks to land among the top-10 best cities for celebrating Turkey Day festivities, according to a new WalletHub study.
Surprisingly, Fort Worth only managed a No. 50 ranking. A Thanksgiving snub!
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.
Fort Worth barely managed to stay in the top 50 after slipping down the list from its No. 45 rank in 2024. Currently, Fort Worth has the 7th best Thanksgiving weather forecast in the country, and the 29th best affordability surrounding the holiday. Surprisingly, the report said Fort Worth has the third-lowest number of pumpkin patches per capita.
A slightly lower ranking won’t stop Fort Worth residents from exploring all the local restaurants hosting their own Turkey Day feasts this year, or the festive light shows, pop-up bars, or other holiday events happening throughout Dallas-Fort Worth.
The best North Texas Thanksgiving destinations
Dallas was deemed 4th best place to visit for celebrating Turkey Day festivities, and was the highest-ranked North Texas city. 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, and it 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.
North Texas suburbs Irving (No. 6) and Plano (No. 7) also claimed spots among the top-10 best destinations for Thanksgiving this year, while Garland (No. 21) and Arlington (No. 41) ranked among the top 50.
Elsewhere in Texas
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
