National ranking · Top 100 · data updated August 2026

100 Coldest Cities in America

This list ranks the 100 coldest US cities by average annual temperature from NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Only incorporated places with at least 5,000 residents and NOAA climate normals appear. The ranking uses mean annual temperature, not record lows, wind chill, or land-area extremes.

Compiled by PlainCities

100
Cities ranked: #1
Fairbanks: 28.3°F
Avg Annual Temp

Data updated August 2026

The headline finding

Fairbanks, AK tops this list at 28.3°F avg annual temp, making the top 100 requires at least 44.8°F.

Fairbanks, AK
#1 · 28.3°F: 44.8°F
#100 cutoff: 100
cities in this ranking

Every figure here is read live from the same NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 data rendered in the table below.

These 100 cities span 18 states. Minnesota has the most entries on this list: 20 (20% of the total). Minnesota state page.

How we calculate the state breakdown

The state count and leader above are a live tally of this list's own 100 rows, grouped by state. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

Fairbanks, AK

28.3
College, AK

30.6
Bethel, AK

31.4
Kenai, AK

34.2
Boulder, CO

35.2
Sterling, AK

35.7
Palmer, AK

37.1
Anchorage, AK

37.6
Gunnison, CO

37.7
Jackson, WY

37.9
Devils Lake, ND

39.3
Cloquet, MN

39.7

What this shows Fairbanks, Alaska ranks #1 on avg annual temp among the cities in this ranking; the full top 100 is listed below.

Minnesota (MN)

20
Wisconsin (WI)

15
Alaska (AK)

11
Colorado (CO)

9
North Dakota (ND)

9
Michigan (MI)

7
Wyoming (WY)

6
New York (NY)

5
South Dakota (SD)

4
Montana (MT)

3

What this shows Minnesota leads with 20 of the 100 spots on this list.

#	City	Avg Annual Temp	Population
1	FairbanksAlaska	28.3°F	32,242
2	CollegeAlaska	30.6°F	11,730
3	BethelAlaska	31.4°F	6,313
4	KenaiAlaska	34.2°F	7,562
5	BoulderColorado	35.2°F	106,274
6	SterlingAlaska	35.7°F	6,776
7	PalmerAlaska	37.1°F	6,141
8	AnchorageAlaska	37.6°F	289,069
9	GunnisonColorado	37.7°F	6,712
10	JacksonWyoming	37.9°F	10,746
11	Devils LakeNorth Dakota	39.3°F	7,170
12	CloquetMinnesota	39.7°F	12,582
13	Grand ForksNorth Dakota	39.8°F	58,882
14	RhinelanderWisconsin	40.0°F	8,248
15	Detroit LakesMinnesota	40.1°F	10,002
16	HomerAlaska	40.1°F	5,750
17	IronwoodMichigan	40.2°F	5,004
18	JamestownNorth Dakota	40.3°F	15,774
19	Los AlamosNew Mexico	40.3°F	13,471
20	Valley CityNorth Dakota	40.5°F	6,554
21	DuluthMinnesota	40.6°F	86,863
22	AspenColorado	40.6°F	6,862
23	LewistownMontana	40.6°F	6,028
24	Steamboat SpringsColorado	40.8°F	13,341
25	BrainerdMinnesota	41.1°F	14,474
26	AshlandWisconsin	41.3°F	7,884
27	FargoNorth Dakota	41.4°F	129,064
28	SuperiorWisconsin	41.4°F	26,550
29	AntigoWisconsin	41.4°F	8,058
30	GloversvilleNew York	41.5°F	15,010
31	Presque IsleMaine	41.6°F	8,736
32	Fergus FallsMinnesota	41.9°F	14,138
33	DickinsonNorth Dakota	42.0°F	25,216
34	EvanstonWyoming	42.0°F	11,803
35	JuneauAlaska	42.1°F	31,969
36	MerrillWisconsin	42.1°F	9,224
37	Watford CityNorth Dakota	42.1°F	6,016
38	MoorheadMinnesota	42.2°F	44,706
39	EscanabaMichigan	42.2°F	12,374
40	LitchfieldMinnesota	42.2°F	6,599
41	KodiakAlaska	42.2°F	5,497
42	AlexandriaMinnesota	42.5°F	14,579
43	BerlinNew Hampshire	42.5°F	9,473
44	WhitefishMontana	42.5°F	8,422
45	MarquetteMichigan	42.6°F	20,691
46	AlamosaColorado	42.6°F	9,847
47	Idaho FallsIdaho	42.7°F	66,672
48	MontroseColorado	42.7°F	20,703
49	MaloneNew York	42.7°F	5,466
50	CraigColorado	42.8°F	9,022
51	WillmarMinnesota	42.9°F	21,136
52	LaramieWyoming	43.0°F	31,848
53	Rice LakeWisconsin	43.0°F	9,030
54	Estes ParkColorado	43.0°F	5,879
55	BismarckNorth Dakota	43.1°F	74,146
56	BrookingsSouth Dakota	43.3°F	23,710
57	SitkaAlaska	43.3°F	8,393
58	MinotNorth Dakota	43.4°F	47,922
59	River FallsWisconsin	43.4°F	16,349
60	AlpenaMichigan	43.5°F	10,178
61	MontevideoMinnesota	43.5°F	5,303
62	AndoverMinnesota	43.6°F	32,825
63	Park CityUtah	43.6°F	8,365
64	Rock SpringsWyoming	43.7°F	23,229
65	WatertownSouth Dakota	43.7°F	22,859
66	MarshfieldWisconsin	43.7°F	18,718
67	Wisconsin RapidsWisconsin	43.8°F	18,756
68	BuffaloMinnesota	43.8°F	16,388
69	RawlinsWyoming	43.8°F	8,217
70	ShawanoWisconsin	43.9°F	9,236
71	Houghton LakeMichigan	43.9°F	5,761
72	AberdeenSouth Dakota	44.1°F	28,297
73	ChaskaMinnesota	44.1°F	28,146
74	Stevens PointWisconsin	44.1°F	25,497
75	MassenaNew York	44.1°F	10,234
76	CambridgeMinnesota	44.1°F	9,992
77	BelfastMaine	44.1°F	6,985
78	South Lake TahoeCalifornia	44.2°F	21,319
79	MenomonieWisconsin	44.2°F	16,548
80	JordanMinnesota	44.2°F	6,704
81	RutlandVermont	44.3°F	15,747
82	Two RiversWisconsin	44.3°F	11,224
83	NewportNew Hampshire	44.3°F	5,185
84	WorthingtonMinnesota	44.4°F	13,792
85	PetoskeyMichigan	44.4°F	5,851
86	FaribaultMinnesota	44.5°F	24,458
87	RivertonWyoming	44.5°F	10,803
88	CadillacMichigan	44.5°F	10,404
89	CantonNew York	44.5°F	7,222
90	DelanoMinnesota	44.5°F	6,712
91	Great FallsMontana	44.6°F	60,412
92	CorningNew York	44.6°F	10,666
93	SpartaWisconsin	44.6°F	9,921
94	BathMaine	44.6°F	8,801
95	FlagstaffArizona	44.7°F	76,333
96	MarinetteWisconsin	44.7°F	11,060
97	EvergreenColorado	44.7°F	8,643
98	MadisonSouth Dakota	44.7°F	6,158
99	RochesterMinnesota	44.8°F	121,638
100	OwatonnaMinnesota	44.8°F	26,462

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2023 vintage, released December 2024), the underlying dataset behind this ranking spans 28,702 U.S. incorporated places and census-designated places nationally; this page shows the top 100 by avg annual temp. See our methodology for the full data-collection process.

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Verify directly with the source agency: U.S. Census Bureau, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES.

Questions about the coldest cities in america list

What does this coldest cities in america ranking measure?

It orders cities by avg annual temp using NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. It is a single-metric comparison, not an overall score for quality of life or a recommendation about where to live.

Are metropolitan areas included?

The rows are individual cities or Census-defined places covered by the named source, not combined metropolitan areas. The page states any extra coverage or population rule that applies to this specific avg annual temp ranking.

Can I download and verify the ranking?

Yes. The CSV above contains the same ranked rows shown in the table. The page names the source and vintage, links to the source agency, and explains category-specific caveats before the data.

What to do with the coldest cities in america list

Use this ranking to narrow the field, then dig into the specific places you're considering.

Fairbanks, AK leads this list at 28.3°F -- see its full profile before drawing conclusions from the rank alone. Fairbanks profile
Put two specific cities side by side across every tracked metric, not just this one ranking. Compare cities
See every ranked city in Alaska together, not just how Fairbanks compares nationally. Alaska state page

This ranking reflects the single avg annual temp metric only -- it is not a composite of everything that makes a city a good fit.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Browse all city profiles → | Explore city rankings →

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

100 Coldest Cities in America

Top 12 cities by avg annual temp

Which states show up most

Questions about the coldest cities in america list

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