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Best and Worst US Cities for Fire Pit Nights (2026).

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315fire pit nights a year in Long Beach, the most
14a year in Honolulu, the fewest
111nights a year in the typical big city
Octbest month nationally, about 16 nights
Download the data (CSV)Download the mapDownload the chart

Long Beach gets about 315 evenings a year that are good for sitting around a fire. Honolulu gets 14. The typical big US city lands at about 111, a little under one night in three.

To find those numbers, we checked every evening from 2021 through 2025 in the 100 largest US cities. A night counted if it was cool but not cold, dry and calm between 7 pm and 10 pm. We then added three years of EPA air-quality data and each city’s fire pit rules, which we researched city by city.

California takes the whole top 10. San Jose and Oakland top the overall score, which also weighs air quality and local rules, while Long Beach has the most nights. Outside California, Seattle, Portland and the Carolinas are the best bets. At the other end, seven of the 10 worst cities are in Texas, joined by Miami, Honolulu and Chicago, where evenings are too hot, too windy or both.

How we defined a fire pit night

An evening counts when, between 7 pm and 10 pm local time:

  • the average temperature is 45°F to 70°F,
  • there is no measurable rain (less than 0.01 inch), and
  • the average wind is 10 mph or less.

The weather comes from the Open-Meteo historical weather API, which blends observations with weather models to give hourly data for any location. We averaged the five years to get nights per year.

Key findings

  • About 111 nights a year is typical. 63 of the 100 cities get at least 100.
  • California sweeps the top 10. Long Beach, Irvine, Chula Vista and San Diego each top 300 nights a year.
  • Heat costs more nights than cold. Heat was the biggest limit in 61 cities. Miami and Port St. Lucie each have about 209 evenings a year that are too warm.
  • October is the best month nationally, with about 16 nights per city. July is the worst, with fewer than 4.
  • Wind is the hidden problem. Corpus Christi averages 205 windy evenings a year and Chicago about 120.
  • Gas adds the crisp nights. Reno, Seattle and Portland each get 60 to 70 extra dry, calm evenings between 35°F and 45°F. That is chilly for building and tending a wood fire, but easy with a gas fire pit you can turn on in seconds.
  • Air quality hurts Southern California. The Los Angeles and Riverside metro areas averaged 107 and 147 unhealthy-air days a year (AQI over 100) from 2023 to 2025 (EPA AirData annual AQI files).

Map: fire pit nights across the US

Map of Fire Pit Night Scores for the 100 largest US citiesPlano, TX: #100, score 26.8, 92 fire pit nights a year Honolulu, HI: #99, score 27.2, 14 fire pit nights a year Houston, TX: #98, score 30.5, 97 fire pit nights a year Miami, FL: #97, score 32.2, 27 fire pit nights a year Corpus Christi, TX: #95, score 32.6, 59 fire pit nights a year Irving, TX: #96, score 32.6, 91 fire pit nights a year Fort Worth, TX: #94, score 33.2, 94 fire pit nights a year Frisco, TX: #93, score 33.8, 85 fire pit nights a year Chicago, IL: #92, score 34, 76 fire pit nights a year McKinney, TX: #91, score 34.3, 87 fire pit nights a year Garland, TX: #90, score 34.6, 88 fire pit nights a year Dallas, TX: #89, score 35.1, 90 fire pit nights a year Glendale, AZ: #88, score 35.6, 115 fire pit nights a year Arlington, TX: #87, score 35.9, 94 fire pit nights a year Cleveland, OH: #86, score 36.5, 79 fire pit nights a year Scottsdale, AZ: #85, score 36.7, 117 fire pit nights a year Jersey City, NJ: #84, score 37.8, 111 fire pit nights a year Detroit, MI: #83, score 38.1, 79 fire pit nights a year Laredo, TX: #82, score 38.2, 70 fire pit nights a year El Paso, TX: #81, score 38.5, 114 fire pit nights a year Mesa, AZ: #80, score 38.8, 116 fire pit nights a year Phoenix, AZ: #79, score 39.4, 119 fire pit nights a year Cape Coral, FL: #78, score 40, 69 fire pit nights a year Lubbock, TX: #77, score 40.2, 83 fire pit nights a year Oklahoma City, OK: #75, score 40.9, 87 fire pit nights a year Port St. Lucie, FL: #76, score 40.9, 73 fire pit nights a year Denver, CO: #74, score 41.2, 112 fire pit nights a year Omaha, NE: #71, score 41.3, 84 fire pit nights a year St. Petersburg, FL: #72, score 41.3, 78 fire pit nights a year Boise, ID: #73, score 41.3, 88 fire pit nights a year Wichita, KS: #70, score 41.4, 79 fire pit nights a year St. Paul, MN: #69, score 41.6, 92 fire pit nights a year Boston, MA: #66, score 42.2, 114 fire pit nights a year Fresno, CA: #67, score 42.2, 153 fire pit nights a year New Orleans, LA: #68, score 42.2, 95 fire pit nights a year Kansas City, MO: #64, score 42.3, 96 fire pit nights a year Lincoln, NE: #65, score 42.3, 80 fire pit nights a year North Las Vegas, NV: #63, score 42.4, 125 fire pit nights a year San Antonio, TX: #62, score 42.6, 96 fire pit nights a year St. Louis, MO: #61, score 42.7, 100 fire pit nights a year Orlando, FL: #59, score 42.9, 98 fire pit nights a year Gilbert, AZ: #60, score 42.9, 134 fire pit nights a year Minneapolis, MN: #58, score 43.1, 99 fire pit nights a year Milwaukee, WI: #57, score 43.3, 103 fire pit nights a year Buffalo, NY: #56, score 43.4, 101 fire pit nights a year New York, NY: #54, score 43.8, 111 fire pit nights a year Chandler, AZ: #55, score 43.8, 138 fire pit nights a year Indianapolis, IN: #52, score 44, 99 fire pit nights a year Albuquerque, NM: #53, score 44, 104 fire pit nights a year Virginia Beach, VA: #51, score 44.1, 88 fire pit nights a year Bakersfield, CA: #50, score 44.2, 150 fire pit nights a year Aurora, CO: #49, score 44.3, 107 fire pit nights a year Henderson, NV: #48, score 44.4, 131 fire pit nights a year Austin, TX: #47, score 44.6, 97 fire pit nights a year Fort Wayne, IN: #46, score 44.7, 94 fire pit nights a year Las Vegas, NV: #45, score 45.4, 125 fire pit nights a year Washington, DC: #44, score 45.5, 118 fire pit nights a year Toledo, OH: #43, score 45.6, 91 fire pit nights a year Tampa, FL: #41, score 45.7, 86 fire pit nights a year Pittsburgh, PA: #42, score 45.7, 117 fire pit nights a year Louisville, KY: #40, score 46, 110 fire pit nights a year Memphis, TN: #39, score 46.5, 109 fire pit nights a year Tulsa, OK: #38, score 46.9, 100 fire pit nights a year Cincinnati, OH: #37, score 47.1, 107 fire pit nights a year Newark, NJ: #36, score 47.2, 114 fire pit nights a year Philadelphia, PA: #33, score 48, 111 fire pit nights a year Baltimore, MD: #34, score 48, 115 fire pit nights a year Madison, WI: #35, score 48, 103 fire pit nights a year Atlanta, GA: #32, score 49.8, 126 fire pit nights a year Nashville, TN: #31, score 50.1, 118 fire pit nights a year Lexington, KY: #30, score 50.3, 124 fire pit nights a year Columbus, OH: #27, score 50.9, 113 fire pit nights a year Anchorage, AK: #28, score 50.9, 106 fire pit nights a year Richmond, VA: #29, score 50.9, 128 fire pit nights a year Tucson, AZ: #25, score 52.1, 130 fire pit nights a year Reno, NV: #26, score 52.1, 123 fire pit nights a year Jacksonville, FL: #24, score 52.4, 125 fire pit nights a year Chesapeake, VA: #23, score 53.1, 127 fire pit nights a year Charlotte, NC: #22, score 53.5, 131 fire pit nights a year Huntsville, AL: #21, score 53.7, 129 fire pit nights a year Winston-Salem, NC: #20, score 54.9, 137 fire pit nights a year Colorado Springs, CO: #18, score 55.2, 128 fire pit nights a year Greensboro, NC: #19, score 55.2, 136 fire pit nights a year Raleigh, NC: #17, score 55.7, 138 fire pit nights a year Durham, NC: #16, score 56.2, 140 fire pit nights a year Sacramento, CA: #15, score 57.5, 163 fire pit nights a year Portland, OR: #14, score 59.3, 145 fire pit nights a year Seattle, WA: #13, score 63.2, 161 fire pit nights a year Stockton, CA: #12, score 64.4, 169 fire pit nights a year Riverside, CA: #11, score 65.3, 231 fire pit nights a year San Francisco, CA: #10, score 68.5, 185 fire pit nights a year Los Angeles, CA: #9, score 77, 281 fire pit nights a year Anaheim, CA: #8, score 77.6, 283 fire pit nights a year Santa Ana, CA: #7, score 80.8, 297 fire pit nights a year Irvine, CA: #6, score 82, 313 fire pit nights a year Long Beach, CA: #5, score 82.6, 315 fire pit nights a year San Diego, CA: #4, score 84.6, 311 fire pit nights a year Chula Vista, CA: #3, score 88.3, 311 fire pit nights a year Oakland, CA: #2, score 91.2, 283 fire pit nights a year San Jose, CA: #1, score 91.4, 291 fire pit nights a yearPlano Honolulu Houston Miami Corpus Christi Chicago Phoenix Denver New York Reno Durham Portland Seattle Los Angeles San Diego San Jose
Score (0 to 100):70 and up55 to 7045 to 5535 to 45Under 35
Hover or tap a dot to see the city, rank and score. Source: The Magic of Fire analysis of Open-Meteo weather (2021-2025), EPA AirData and city fire pit rules. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. Download the map

The pattern is clear on the map. The West Coast is orange from San Diego to Seattle, the Carolinas form a smaller warm patch in the East, and the blue cities cluster in Texas, Arizona, South Florida and around the Great Lakes.

Bar chart of the 10 best and 10 worst US cities for fire pit nights by score
Fire Pit Night Score for the 10 best and 10 worst of the 100 largest US cities. Download the chart

The 10 best cities for fire pit nights

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Rank City Score Nights/yr Best months Gas rule
1 San Jose, CA 91.4 291 Apr, May, Nov Allowed with rules
2 Oakland, CA 91.2 283 Apr, Sep, Oct Allowed with rules
3 Chula Vista, CA 88.3 311 May, Jun, Dec Allowed with rules
4 San Diego, CA 84.6 311 May, Jun, Oct Permit may apply
5 Long Beach, CA 82.6 315 May, Jun, Oct Allowed with rules
6 Irvine, CA 82.0 313 May, Jun, Oct Allowed with rules
7 Santa Ana, CA 80.8 297 May, Dec, Jun Allowed with rules
8 Anaheim, CA 77.6 283 May, Oct, Dec Allowed with rules
9 Los Angeles, CA 77.0 281 May, Nov, Apr Allowed with rules
10 San Francisco, CA 68.5 185 Nov, Jan, Oct Allowed with rules

1. San Jose, CA (91.4). 291 fire pit nights a year and only about 2 unhealthy-air days. It sits far enough inland to avoid most Bay wind (just 6 windy evenings a year), and April and May are its best months. Wood fires need a permit here, so gas is the easier route.

2. Oakland, CA (91.2). Almost never too warm (6 evenings a year), and it keeps going when Southern California fades. Oakland still gets about 26 fire pit nights in August, September and October, when Anaheim and Los Angeles drop to 10 to 16 in late summer.

3. Chula Vista, CA (88.3). Tied with San Diego for 311 nights, with no evenings too cold and only 6 too windy. August and September are the soft spots at about 18 to 20 nights.

4. San Diego, CA (84.6). Same weather as Chula Vista next door. It ranks a little lower only because some gas fire pit installs may need a permit, so check with the city before you build one in.

5. Long Beach, CA (82.6). The most fire pit nights in the country, 315 a year. Its score is held back by Los Angeles metro air, which averaged 107 unhealthy-air days a year.

6. Irvine, CA (82.0). 313 nights, and May here (30 nights) is the best single month in the whole study.

7. Santa Ana, CA (80.8). 297 nights a year. August is the weak month, with about 13 nights, as inland heat kicks in.

8. Anaheim, CA (77.6). Inland heat costs Anaheim more than its coastal neighbors: 57 evenings a year are too warm, and August has only about 10 fire pit nights.

9. Los Angeles, CA (77.0). 281 nights a year. November is a top month, and the summer dip is real: about 11 nights in August.

10. San Francisco, CA (68.5). The windiest city in the top 10, with 150 evenings a year over 10 mph. Fall and winter are excellent (24 nights in November, 23 in January), but July has fewer than 5. A tempered-glass wind guard helps here.

Just outside the top 10, Seattle (13th) and Portland (14th) are the best cities outside California, helped by mild summer evenings and some of the cleanest air in the country. Durham, Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Charlotte all finish between 16th and 22nd.

The 10 worst cities for fire pit nights

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Rank City Score Nights/yr Best months Gas rule
100 Plano, TX 26.8 92 Nov, Mar, Dec No gas-specific rule found
99 Honolulu, HI 27.2 14 Feb, Jan, Mar No gas-specific rule found
98 Houston, TX 30.5 97 Dec, Nov, Mar No gas-specific rule found
97 Miami, FL 32.2 27 Jan, Feb, Dec Allowed with rules
96 Irving, TX 32.6 91 Dec, Nov, Mar No gas-specific rule found
95 Corpus Christi, TX 32.6 59 Dec, Jan, Feb No gas-specific rule found
94 Fort Worth, TX 33.2 94 Dec, Nov, Mar No gas-specific rule found
93 Frisco, TX 33.8 85 Mar, Nov, Dec Allowed with rules
92 Chicago, IL 34.0 76 May, Sep, Oct No gas-specific rule found
91 McKinney, TX 34.3 87 Mar, Nov, Dec Allowed with rules

100. Plano, TX (26.8). Plano actually gets 92 fire pit nights a year, more than Chicago. It finishes last because the city prohibits backyard wood fires and Dallas-Fort Worth air averaged about 51 unhealthy-air days a year. We found no gas-specific rule, so confirm with the city.

99. Honolulu, HI (27.2). Just 14 nights a year. 154 evenings are too warm and 164 are too windy, thanks to the trade winds. January and February give you 4 or 5 good nights each.

98. Houston, TX (30.5). Winter is better than you might expect: about 19 nights in December and 16 in both November and March. June through August have essentially none, and Houston has the worst air in the bottom 10, about 55 unhealthy-air days a year.

97. Miami, FL (32.2). 27 nights a year, and 209 evenings that are too warm. January is the one real fire pit month, with about 13 nights.

96. Irving, TX (32.6). About 16 nights each in November and December, and none from July through September.

95. Corpus Christi, TX (32.6). The windiest city in the study: 205 evenings a year average more than 10 mph. December and January are the best months at about 14 nights each.

94. Fort Worth, TX (33.2). December is Fort Worth’s month, with 18 fire pit nights, the most of any Dallas-Fort Worth city. Summer evenings are too hot.

93. Frisco, TX (33.8). 109 windy evenings a year on top of the North Texas heat. March and November are the best bets.

92. Chicago, IL (34.0). 76 nights a year, with a short season: May (14 nights) and September (13). Winter has less than one a month, and about 120 evenings a year are too windy.

91. McKinney, TX (34.3). 87 nights a year, peaking in March with about 15. July and August have none.

The best city for fire pit nights in each state

34 states and Washington, DC have at least one of the 100 largest cities. Here is the top-ranked city in each, with its national rank.

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

State Best city US rank Nights/yr Best months Cities in study
Alabama Huntsville 21 129 Oct, Apr, Mar 1
Alaska Anchorage 28 106 Jul, Jun, May 1
Arizona Tucson 25 130 Dec, Jan, Nov 7
California San Jose 1 291 Apr, May, Nov 15
Colorado Colorado Springs 18 128 Oct, Sep, May 3
District of Columbia Washington 44 118 Oct, May, Apr 1
Florida Jacksonville 24 125 Dec, Jan, Nov 7
Georgia Atlanta 32 126 Mar, Oct, Apr 1
Hawaii Honolulu 99 14 Feb, Jan, Mar 1
Idaho Boise 73 88 Oct, Apr, May 1
Illinois Chicago 92 76 May, Sep, Oct 1
Indiana Fort Wayne 46 94 May, Oct, Sep 2
Kansas Wichita 70 79 Oct, Apr, May 1
Kentucky Lexington 30 124 Oct, Apr, May 2
Louisiana New Orleans 68 95 Dec, Nov, Mar 1
Maryland Baltimore 34 115 Oct, May, Apr 1
Massachusetts Boston 66 114 Oct, May, Sep 1
Michigan Detroit 83 79 Sep, May, Oct 1
Minnesota Minneapolis 58 99 May, Sep, Oct 2
Missouri St. Louis 61 100 Oct, Apr, May 2
Nebraska Lincoln 65 80 Oct, May, Sep 2
Nevada Reno 26 123 Oct, Apr, May 4
New Jersey Newark 36 114 Oct, May, Sep 2
New Mexico Albuquerque 53 104 Oct, Nov, Mar 1
New York New York 54 111 Oct, May, Sep 2
North Carolina Durham 16 140 Oct, Mar, Apr 5
Ohio Columbus 27 113 Oct, May, Apr 4
Oklahoma Tulsa 38 100 Apr, Oct, Nov 2
Oregon Portland 14 145 May, Oct, Sep 1
Pennsylvania Philadelphia 33 111 Oct, May, Apr 2
Tennessee Nashville 31 118 Oct, Apr, May 2
Texas Austin 47 97 Dec, Nov, Jan 15
Virginia Chesapeake 23 127 Oct, Nov, Apr 3
Washington Seattle 13 161 Sep, May, Oct 1
Wisconsin Madison 35 103 Sep, May, Oct 2

A few things stand out. Texas has 15 cities in the ranking, but its best, Austin, is only 47th. Florida’s best is Jacksonville (24th), well ahead of Miami. Outside California, the highest-ranked state winners are Seattle (13th), Portland (14th) and Durham (16th). Illinois and Hawaii have just one city each, Chicago (92nd) and Honolulu (99th), so they come last among the state winners.

Why gas fire pits do better in tough cities

“I love wood-burning fire pits. The crackling and sparking is spectacular, but it’s also highly dangerous,” says Mark Oakley, founder of The Magic of Fire. “You need a steady supply of wood, you have to watch the fire the whole time, you can’t just turn it off when you’re done, and after a few hours around it you stink to high heaven. That’s why I became a gas fire pit convert.”

The cities that score lowest on rules and air quality are where gas fire pits make the most sense.

  • They often stay legal on no-burn days. In Maricopa County (Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale and Scottsdale), the no-burn ordinance does not apply to fire pits that burn only natural gas or propane (Maricopa County P-26). South Coast AQMD says gas and propane devices are not subject to its No-Burn alerts (South Coast AQMD).
  • They work where wood is limited. Denver and Boston restrict backyard fires to gas or approved devices, and Plano and Jersey City prohibit wood fires.
  • They make short, cold or breezy evenings worth it. There is no fire to build and nothing to put out. On a 40°F night, or when you only have an hour, that matters.

Full ranking: all 100 cities

Download full data (CSV)

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Rank City Score Nights/yr Best months Gas rule
1 San Jose, CA 91.4 291 Apr, May, Nov Allowed with rules
2 Oakland, CA 91.2 283 Apr, Sep, Oct Allowed with rules
3 Chula Vista, CA 88.3 311 May, Jun, Dec Allowed with rules
4 San Diego, CA 84.6 311 May, Jun, Oct Permit may apply
5 Long Beach, CA 82.6 315 May, Jun, Oct Allowed with rules
6 Irvine, CA 82.0 313 May, Jun, Oct Allowed with rules
7 Santa Ana, CA 80.8 297 May, Dec, Jun Allowed with rules
8 Anaheim, CA 77.6 283 May, Oct, Dec Allowed with rules
9 Los Angeles, CA 77.0 281 May, Nov, Apr Allowed with rules
10 San Francisco, CA 68.5 185 Nov, Jan, Oct Allowed with rules
11 Riverside, CA 65.3 231 Dec, May, Mar Allowed with rules
12 Stockton, CA 64.4 169 Nov, Mar, Oct Allowed with rules
13 Seattle, WA 63.2 161 Sep, May, Oct Allowed with rules
14 Portland, OR 59.3 145 May, Oct, Sep Allowed with rules
15 Sacramento, CA 57.5 163 Mar, Apr, Nov No gas-specific rule found
16 Durham, NC 56.2 140 Oct, Mar, Apr No gas-specific rule found
17 Raleigh, NC 55.7 138 Oct, Nov, Mar No gas-specific rule found
18 Colorado Springs, CO 55.2 128 Oct, Sep, May Allowed with rules
19 Greensboro, NC 55.2 136 Oct, Apr, Mar No gas-specific rule found
20 Winston-Salem, NC 54.9 137 Oct, Apr, Mar No gas-specific rule found
21 Huntsville, AL 53.7 129 Oct, Apr, Mar No gas-specific rule found
22 Charlotte, NC 53.5 131 Oct, Mar, Nov No gas-specific rule found
23 Chesapeake, VA 53.1 127 Oct, Nov, Apr No gas-specific rule found
24 Jacksonville, FL 52.4 125 Dec, Jan, Nov No gas-specific rule found
25 Tucson, AZ 52.1 130 Dec, Jan, Nov No gas-specific rule found
26 Reno, NV 52.1 123 Oct, Apr, May No gas-specific rule found
27 Columbus, OH 50.9 113 Oct, May, Apr Allowed with rules
28 Anchorage, AK 50.9 106 Jul, Jun, May Allowed with rules
29 Richmond, VA 50.9 128 Oct, Apr, May No gas-specific rule found
30 Lexington, KY 50.3 124 Oct, Apr, May No gas-specific rule found
31 Nashville, TN 50.1 118 Oct, Apr, May No gas-specific rule found
32 Atlanta, GA 49.8 126 Mar, Oct, Apr No gas-specific rule found
33 Philadelphia, PA 48.0 111 Oct, May, Apr Allowed with rules
34 Baltimore, MD 48.0 115 Oct, May, Apr No gas-specific rule found
35 Madison, WI 48.0 103 Sep, May, Oct Allowed with rules
36 Newark, NJ 47.2 114 Oct, May, Sep Allowed with rules
37 Cincinnati, OH 47.1 107 Oct, May, Apr Allowed with rules
38 Tulsa, OK 46.9 100 Apr, Oct, Nov Allowed with rules
39 Memphis, TN 46.5 109 Apr, Mar, Oct No gas-specific rule found
40 Louisville, KY 46.0 110 Oct, Apr, May No gas-specific rule found
41 Tampa, FL 45.7 86 Jan, Dec, Feb Allowed with rules
42 Pittsburgh, PA 45.7 117 Oct, May, Sep No gas-specific rule found
43 Toledo, OH 45.6 91 Sep, May, Oct Allowed with rules
44 Washington, DC 45.5 118 Oct, May, Apr No gas-specific rule found
45 Las Vegas, NV 45.4 125 Nov, Dec, Feb No gas-specific rule found
46 Fort Wayne, IN 44.7 94 May, Oct, Sep No gas-specific rule found
47 Austin, TX 44.6 97 Dec, Nov, Jan No gas-specific rule found
48 Henderson, NV 44.4 131 Nov, Dec, Mar No gas-specific rule found
49 Aurora, CO 44.3 107 Oct, May, Sep Allowed with rules
50 Bakersfield, CA 44.2 150 Nov, Jan, Mar Allowed with rules
51 Virginia Beach, VA 44.1 88 Oct, Nov, May No gas-specific rule found
52 Indianapolis, IN 44.0 99 Oct, May, Apr No gas-specific rule found
53 Albuquerque, NM 44.0 104 Oct, Nov, Mar Allowed with rules
54 New York, NY 43.8 111 Oct, May, Sep No gas-specific rule found
55 Chandler, AZ 43.8 138 Dec, Jan, Feb Allowed with rules
56 Buffalo, NY 43.4 101 May, Sep, Oct No gas-specific rule found
57 Milwaukee, WI 43.3 103 Sep, Jun, May No gas-specific rule found
58 Minneapolis, MN 43.1 99 May, Sep, Oct No gas-specific rule found
59 Orlando, FL 42.9 98 Dec, Jan, Nov Permit may apply
60 Gilbert, AZ 42.9 134 Dec, Jan, Feb Allowed with rules
61 St. Louis, MO 42.7 100 Oct, Apr, May No gas-specific rule found
62 San Antonio, TX 42.6 96 Dec, Jan, Nov No gas-specific rule found
63 North Las Vegas, NV 42.4 125 Nov, Dec, Feb No gas-specific rule found
64 Kansas City, MO 42.3 96 Oct, May, Apr No gas-specific rule found
65 Lincoln, NE 42.3 80 Oct, May, Sep No gas-specific rule found
66 Boston, MA 42.2 114 Oct, May, Sep Permit required
67 Fresno, CA 42.2 153 Nov, Mar, Apr Allowed with rules
68 New Orleans, LA 42.2 95 Dec, Nov, Mar No gas-specific rule found
69 St. Paul, MN 41.6 92 May, Sep, Oct No gas-specific rule found
70 Wichita, KS 41.4 79 Oct, Apr, May No gas-specific rule found
71 Omaha, NE 41.3 84 Oct, May, Apr Allowed with rules
72 St. Petersburg, FL 41.3 78 Jan, Dec, Feb No gas-specific rule found
73 Boise, ID 41.3 88 Oct, Apr, May Allowed with rules
74 Denver, CO 41.2 112 Oct, May, Sep Allowed with rules
75 Oklahoma City, OK 40.9 87 Apr, Nov, May No gas-specific rule found
76 Port St. Lucie, FL 40.9 73 Jan, Dec, Feb No gas-specific rule found
77 Lubbock, TX 40.2 83 Nov, Dec, Oct No gas-specific rule found
78 Cape Coral, FL 40.0 69 Jan, Dec, Feb No gas-specific rule found
79 Phoenix, AZ 39.4 119 Dec, Jan, Feb Allowed with rules
80 Mesa, AZ 38.8 116 Jan, Dec, Feb Allowed with rules
81 El Paso, TX 38.5 114 Nov, Dec, Feb No gas-specific rule found
82 Laredo, TX 38.2 70 Jan, Dec, Nov No gas-specific rule found
83 Detroit, MI 38.1 79 Sep, May, Oct No gas-specific rule found
84 Jersey City, NJ 37.8 111 Oct, May, Sep No gas-specific rule found
85 Scottsdale, AZ 36.7 117 Dec, Jan, Feb Allowed with rules
86 Cleveland, OH 36.5 79 May, Sep, Oct Permit may apply
87 Arlington, TX 35.9 94 Nov, Dec, Mar Allowed with rules
88 Glendale, AZ 35.6 115 Jan, Dec, Feb Allowed with rules
89 Dallas, TX 35.1 90 Dec, Mar, Nov Allowed with rules
90 Garland, TX 34.6 88 Nov, Mar, Dec Allowed with rules
91 McKinney, TX 34.3 87 Mar, Nov, Dec Allowed with rules
92 Chicago, IL 34.0 76 May, Sep, Oct No gas-specific rule found
93 Frisco, TX 33.8 85 Mar, Nov, Dec Allowed with rules
94 Fort Worth, TX 33.2 94 Dec, Nov, Mar No gas-specific rule found
95 Corpus Christi, TX 32.6 59 Dec, Jan, Feb No gas-specific rule found
96 Irving, TX 32.6 91 Dec, Nov, Mar No gas-specific rule found
97 Miami, FL 32.2 27 Jan, Feb, Dec Allowed with rules
98 Houston, TX 30.5 97 Dec, Nov, Mar No gas-specific rule found
99 Honolulu, HI 27.2 14 Feb, Jan, Mar No gas-specific rule found
100 Plano, TX 26.8 92 Nov, Mar, Dec No gas-specific rule found

The CSV download also lists each city’s biggest limit (heat, cold, rain or wind), unhealthy-air days and monthly counts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best month for a fire pit?

October, for most of the country. It averages about 16 fire pit nights per city and is the best month in 34 of the 100 cities. The answer changes by region: in Texas and Florida the best months are December through March, and in Chicago they are May and September. Every city’s best months are in the full ranking below.

What temperature is too cold for a fire pit?

We used 45°F as the cutoff, measured as the average from 7 pm to 10 pm. Plenty of people sit out below that, especially with a gas fire pit that lights in seconds. Dry, calm evenings between 35°F and 45°F add 60 to 70 extra nights a year in Reno, Seattle and Portland.

How windy is too windy for a fire pit?

We counted evenings with average wind over 10 mph as too windy. Wind blows smoke and flame around, and it is the main reason Corpus Christi, Honolulu, Chicago and San Francisco lose so many nights. On a gas fire pit, a tempered-glass wind guard keeps the flame steady on breezy evenings.

Which US city has the most fire pit nights?

Long Beach, California, with about 315 a year, followed by Irvine (313), Chula Vista and San Diego (311 each). San Jose has the highest overall score because it also has very clean air.

Which US city has the fewest fire pit nights?

Honolulu, with about 14 a year, then Miami (27). Both are rarely cold, but most evenings are too warm, and Honolulu’s trade winds rule out many of the rest.

Can I use a gas fire pit during a burn ban?

Often, but not everywhere. Maricopa County’s no-burn rule does not apply to fire pits fueled only by natural gas or propane (Maricopa County P-26), and South Coast AQMD No-Burn alerts do not apply to gas or propane devices (South Coast AQMD). Some cities, such as Madison, Wisconsin, include gas fire pits in burn bans (City Rule Lookup). Check your city or county before lighting up on a no-burn day.

Do I need a permit for a gas fire pit?

Usually not for a portable, listed gas fire pit. Of the 100 cities we checked, only Boston clearly requires one, and San Diego, Cleveland and Orlando may for some installations. More than half the cities have no gas-specific rule at all, so call your fire department if you are unsure. Running a new natural gas line is a different matter and normally needs a licensed installer and a gas or plumbing permit.

Find a gas fire pit for your city’s best nights

If your city made the top 10, you have fire pit weather most of the year. If it landed near the bottom, a gas fire pit is the way to make the most of the nights you do get, including the crisp ones and the no-burn days.

“With gas you get control, a clean burn and no smell, and you turn it on and off whenever you like,” Oakley says. “The risk is enormously reduced compared with wood. When you sum it all up, it’s a no-brainer.”

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Methodology

  • Cities: the 100 most populous US cities, from the Census Bureau’s July 2025 estimates (Wikipedia list of US cities by population).
  • Weather (70% of the score): hourly temperature, precipitation and 10-meter wind speed for 7 pm, 8 pm and 9 pm local time at each city center, January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2025, from the Open-Meteo historical weather API. A night counts if the three-hour average temperature is 45°F to 70°F, total rain is under 0.01 inch, and average wind is 10 mph or less. Scores are scaled from 0 (fewest nights) to 100 (most). Reanalysis data is modeled on a grid, so it can differ slightly from a single airport weather station.
  • Air quality (15%): average yearly days with AQI over 100 (unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse) in each city’s metro area, 2023 to 2025, from the EPA AirData annual AQI files. 0 such days scores 100, and 60 or more days scores 0. Most of these days come from daytime ozone or wildfire smoke, so this measures overall air quality, not evening air only. Cities in the same metro area share the same figure.
  • Rules (15%): from our city-by-city rules research, weighted 60% gas and 40% wood. Gas: allowed with rules = 100, no gas-specific rule found = 70, permit may apply = 60, permit required = 40. Wood: allowed with rules = 100, permit required = 60, unclear = 50, gas or approved devices only = 30, prohibited = 0.
  • Robustness check: loosening the definition to 45°F to 75°F and wind up to 12 mph leaves the top 10 unchanged. The bottom stays dominated by Gulf Coast, Florida, Texas and Great Lakes cities.
  • Crisp nights: dry evenings averaging 35°F to 45°F with wind of 10 mph or less. These are reported separately and are not part of the score.

Full dataset with monthly counts for every city: download the CSV.

You are welcome to use this data and chart with a link back to this page. Source: The Magic of Fire analysis of Open-Meteo, EPA AirData and city fire codes.