The most popular Fourth of July destinations for 2016

Randy Newman loves the City of Angels according to his (admittedly satirical) 1983 ditty “I love L.A.” Apparently, so does everybody else. In a survey of Orbitz data comparing 2016 travel trends over last year, Los Angeles has edged out Chicago as the most booked destination for the coming holiday weekend.

Chicago surged to the #1 spot last year, thanks in part to a Grateful Dead reunion which brought thousands of diligent fans to the City of Big Shoulders and saw hotel rates spike an impressive 77% over 2014 due to room scarcity. Sans Dead Heads, the city remains a summertime favorite thanks to its 18-mile lakefront trail, ubiquitous street festivals, compact and walkable neighborhoods and excellent food scene. Average airfare and hotel rates for 2016 are $288 and $171 respectively.

Meanwhile, there is great news for visitors to New York City which is holding steady in the #3 spot, but is offering much cheaper airfare versus 2015. This year’s average flight will set travelers back $319 compared to $460 in 2015 although hotel rates have gone up nominally from $237 in 2015 to $242 this year. Highlights for the holiday weekend include the Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks, the Red, White and Brew Pub Crawl and having the city to yourself as New Yorkers make a mad dash for the Hamptons and Fire Island. Of course, the most patriotic event of all would be to see the Tony Award winning Hamilton, but good luck getting a ticket.

Elsewhere, Las Vegas dropped in the rankings from an impressive 4th place in 2015 to just 9th in 2016. Temps are admittedly in the low hundreds in July and the city doesn’t exactly scream patriotism, but with hotel rates averaging just $134 nightly for the long weekend, they are by far the cheapest on the top ten list and Sin City offers a plethora of ways to beat the heat including numerous pool parties, misted green spaces and air-conditioned casinos. Impressively, Denver leapfrogged from eighth place in 2015 to claim the #4 spot this year. Check out the revitalized Union Station, foodie meccas like Work & Class and hipster hangouts like the Source.

But it’s La La Land that rules the hardest this year. Visitors to Los Angeles will be delighted to discover that airfare rates have dropped to an average of $357 versus last year’s average rate of$428 while hotel rates have inched up only slightly from $193 to $202. Weekend highlights include the 4th of July AmericaFest at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the Dodgers 4th of July Spectacular and Mr. & Mrs. Muscle Beach in Venice among others.