This New England City Was Just Named the Coziest in the U.S. for the Fall

Ready for fall sweaters and cozy vibes? You should head to Portland, Maine on your next getaway.

There's a slight chill in the morning, dusk is coming earlier and earlier, and is that a changing leaf we see? The very first whisper of fall is here. It's time to get cozy. And we know exactly where you should go to do just that.

In September, BetMGM Casino released its new seasonal study ranking the top "cozy" cities that make for a perfect autumn getaway that will make you want to sip a pumpkin spice latte immediately.

To figure out which cities are the coziest of all, the team analyzed destinations across the U.S. by first creating a seed list of top fall destinations using websites like Travel + Leisure, including our list of the best destinations for autumn. It then dug into its chosen cities via a variety of factors, including the number of fall-centric venues like farmers' markets, pumpkin patches, cafes, coffee shops, and bookstores, along with the number of parks and lakes, the "vibrancy and intensity" of fall foliage colors, the amount of rain a city receives during the fall, and just how cool the temperatures get during the season, because, "the cooler it gets, the cozier it feels."

After looking at all the data, the team found that Portland, Maine, reigns supreme as the coziest of all.

"Portland showcased the most intense fall foliage overall, with an average of 3.7 inches of rain during fall and a seasonal temperature of 51°F," the findings revealed.

As for when that fall foliage will peak in Portland, Maine.gov explains that "the state's color progression starts occurring from north to south in mid-October. Coastal Maine typically reaches peak conditions in mid-to-late October," making next month the prime time to plan a visit.

Other cozy cities to make the list include Boston, which ranked second thanks to its low rainfall and perfect fall temperature, hovering around 51 degrees. Boston was followed by Minneapolis; Salt Lake City; Portland, Oregon; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Denver; Orlando; Providence, Rhode Island; and Savannah, Georgia.

But really, this year, it looks like much larger swaths of the country could get cozy. Check out the full interactive fall foliage map by SmokyMountains.com to see when the leaves may change near you, so you can plan to break out those sweaters from the back of your closet.

Related: 18 Best Things to Do in Portland, According to a Maine Local

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