Minneapolis regularly hits -20°F in winter, making it one of the coldest major cities in the US. These warm-weather road trips head south through the Great Plains, down the Mississippi, or southwest to the desert.
Minneapolis → Kansas City → Oklahoma City → Dallas → Austin → San Antonio
Drive straight south through the Great Plains into the heart of Texas. Austin’s live music scene, San Antonio’s River Walk, and winter temperatures in the 60s–70s make this a perfect cold-weather escape.
Minneapolis → Des Moines → Kansas City → Dallas → Corpus Christi → South Padre Island
Keep driving south until you can’t go any farther. South Padre Island sits at the southern tip of Texas with warm Gulf waters, gorgeous beaches, and subtropical weather even in January.
Minneapolis → Quad Cities → St. Louis → Memphis → Natchez → New Orleans
Follow the Mississippi River from its headwaters region all the way to the Gulf. This is one of America’s great road trips — from frozen Minnesota to the warm, festive streets of New Orleans.
Minneapolis → Omaha → Denver → Albuquerque → Phoenix → Scottsdale
Trade snow for saguaros with this southwest-bound drive. Phoenix averages 70°F in winter, and the Sonoran Desert landscape offers incredible hiking, golf, and outdoor dining.
Minneapolis → Chicago → Nashville → Birmingham → Pensacola → Destin
Head southeast through Chicago and Nashville to reach the emerald waters of the Florida Panhandle. Destin and Pensacola offer stunning beaches and some of the warmest winter weather on the Gulf Coast.