Planning a summer trip with your pet? This Arizona city is the top dog-friendly destination
With lots of pet-friendly trails and restaurants, hundreds of vet offices, and a community that embraces four-legged visitors, Flagstaff was named the ultimate travel destination for dog owners in the United States.
A recent ranking by USA TODAY and Blueprint analyzed how the most touristy cities across the U.S. accommodate pets based on several categories including the number of dog-friendly places to stay, dog-friendly restaurants, dog-friendly bars, vet offices, and dog-friendly trails and beaches. Most of the categories were analyzed in relation to the city's population density.
So, if your idea of a perfect vacation includes your canine friend, here's a roundup of the best dog-friendly vacation destinations in the U.S.
Why was Flagstaff named the most dog-friendly city in the US?
Flagstaff is known for its stunning alpine landscape, vibrant downtown shops, popular outdoor activities and artsy charm.
Flagstaff is a four-season climate town with more than 260 days of sunshine each year, according to USA TODAY. At approximately 7,000 feet of elevation, Flagstaff's weather contrasts with the Phoenix Valley's arid year-round climate.
Flagstaff has nearly 56 dog-friendly accommodation options per 100,000 residents on average, making it the city with the highest concentration of dog-friendly accommodations, according to analysts with USA TODAY and Blueprint.
Flagstaff also has about 132 dog-friendly trails and about 39 dog-friendly restaurants per 100,000 residents for you to choose from.
Top 10 dog-friendly vacation destinations
According to U.S. International Trade Administration data, USA TODAY and Blue Print analyzed the top 50 most visited cities by overseas tourists in 2022. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the most favorable vacation destination for dogs.
Each city’s weighted average across all metrics was calculated to determine its overall score on a scale from one to 100.
Here are the best dog-friendly vacation destinations and their scaled score, according to USA TODAY and Blueprint:
Flagstaff: 100.00
San Luis Obispo, California: 98.67
Santa Barbara, California: 96.80
Austin, Texas: 94.13
Portland, Oregon: 85.33
San Diego: 84.13
Naples, Florida: 84.00
Nashville: 81.47
Denver: 81.07
Key West, Florida: 80.93
If you want to explore more places for you and your pup, the table below shows how many dog-friendly features the top 20 cities in the rating have, rounded to the nearest whole number.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Want to travel with your dog? Try these 10 dog-friendly US cities
