The 20 Hottest Cities in America

The 20 Hottest US Cities

Ranked by average July high temperature:

1. Phoenix, AZ - 106°F average July high, 329 days above 90°F annually
2. Las Vegas, NV - 104°F July average
3. Yuma, AZ - 107°F July average (hottest city in the US by this metric)
4. Palm Springs, CA - 108°F July average
5. Death Valley, CA - 116°F July average (highest recorded temperature on Earth: 134°F)
6. Tucson, AZ - 100°F July average
7. El Paso, TX - 96°F July average
8. Albuquerque, NM - 93°F July average (but low humidity)
9. Sacramento, CA - 96°F July average
10. Dallas, TX - 96°F July average (with high humidity)
11. Austin, TX - 95°F July average
12. San Antonio, TX - 95°F July average
13. Fresno, CA - 100°F July average
14. Corpus Christi, TX - 93°F July average (high humidity)
15. Houston, TX - 94°F July average (very high humidity)
16. Baton Rouge, LA - 91°F July average
17. Memphis, TN - 92°F July average
18. New Orleans, LA - 91°F July average
19. Jacksonville, FL - 91°F July average
20. Atlanta, GA - 89°F July average

Dry Heat vs. Humid Heat

Phoenix at 110°F with 10% humidity often feels more tolerable than Houston at 94°F with 70% humidity. The "heat index" (what it actually feels like) accounts for humidity. Houston in July can feel like 105°F+ even though the thermometer reads 94°F. Phoenix's dry heat allows sweat to evaporate rapidly, providing more cooling.

Hottest Temperature Ever Recorded

The highest reliably recorded air temperature in the United States is 134°F (56.7°C) at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California, on July 10, 1913. Death Valley holds the world record for the highest reliably recorded surface air temperature.