Austin, TX

These Texas cities rank as top spring break destinations, and these as safest

Published

12 months ago

March 5, 2025

These Texas cities rank as top spring break destinations, and these as safest

One of the best times of the year for students is just around the corner! From the tradition’s inception in 1938, spring break has grown into a sort of right of passage for those seeking higher education.

While Visual Academy identifies Fort Lauderdale, Florida has the original spring break destination, travel has since expanded across the country — and beyond. Mexico and the Caribbean are now common in spring break. Rio de Janeiro, Curacao, Tokyo, Osaka and Istanbul are some of the fastest-growing destinations, according to Expedia.

Although many students highly anticipate spring break, the period is also known for encouraging risky behavior. Excessive drinking and unprotected sex are among the top concerns for law enforcement and medical personnel working near popular spring break spots.

Online retailer MattressNextDay has collected data on the best 24-hour cities in America to offer around-the-clock excitement for spring breakers. The first analysis ranked 30 cities across the following seven measures:

City safety score
Google search volume for “parties”
Number of events
Number of dance clubs
Prices for one-way public transportation tickets
Percentage of hotels with at least four stars
Percentage of restaurants with at least four stars

MattressNextDay conducted another study to determine the safest 24-hour cities, based on factors like crime rates, public safety measures and late-night infrastructure.

One Texas city was among the top five 24-hour cities in the U.S., and several more Lone Star State cities ranked high for safety. Is yours one of them? Here’s what the data shows.

Austin among top 24-hour cities in US

When it comes to cities with the best nightlife and public transportation, it’s no surprise that New York City and Las Vegas topped MattressNextDay’s list of the best 24-hour U.S. cities.

You may not have guessed the Texas capital would also appear on the list. With tickets costing $1.50, Austin boasted some of the cheapest public transportation among the cities in the study. It also scored high on safety rankings and the availability of quality hotels.

New York City, New York
Las Vegas, Nevada
Boston, Massachusetts
Austin, Texas
San Diego, California

4 Texas cities among safest 24-hour cities in US

Even if other Texas cities aren’t as bustling with nightlife as Austin, several scored exceptionally high on MattressNextDay’s ranking of the safest 24-hour cities. El Paso topped the list as the safest among all others in the country. Austin, Fort Worth and San Antonio joined the west Texas city in the top 10.

El Paso, TX: 67.49
San Diego, CA: 60.27
Boston, MA: 60.13
Austin, TX: 57.7
Fort Worth, TX: 56.5
Charlotte, NC: 53.2
Denver, CO: 52.53
San Jose, CA: 52.21
San Antonio, TX: 52.19
Nashville, TN: 51.46

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Austin, TX

Texas Plans Second Execution of the Year

Published

4 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Texas Plans Second Execution of the Year

Cedric Ricks spoke in his own defense at his 2013 murder trial, something most defendants accused of a terrible crime do not do. Ricks confessed that he had killed his girlfriend, Roxann Sanchez, and her 8-year-old son. He admitted he was aggressive and had trouble controlling his anger, stating that he was “sorry about everything.” […]

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Austin, TX

Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?

Published

16 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?

Austin had a particularly itchy and drippy cedar fever season to start the year. Many winter days, from late December into February, had high or very high ashe juniper (aka cedar) pollen counts.

Central Texas has a year-round allergy season with mold popping up at any time. For the more traditional spring and fall allergy seasons, forecasters at AccuWeather are predicting some of the allergens across the country will be worse this year than average.

Texas, though, is a different story.

For grass allergies, which happen now through September, AccuWeather estimates Austin will have an average season. However, just west of the Interstate 35 corridor in the Hill Country to almost El Paso, that season is expected to be worse than normal.

“Texas may experience above-average grass pollen for a few weeks,” AccuWeather’s allergy report said, “though the season could be shorter-lived compared to northern areas.”

It all depends on the weather

How much rain we get in the next six months and the perennial Texas heat will all affect the growing season for grasses and weeds, as well as the amount of pollen trees produce. The Farmers’ Almanac and the Old Farmers Almanac are both predicting a wetter and warmer spring.

Rain helps plants grow, which can increase pollen production over time. However, rainfall during allergy season can also bring temporary relief by washing pollen out of the air. That’s what we’re expecting this weekend, with our first meaningful rain chance in nearly three weeks. Tree and weed pollen levels might briefly drop, but mold could spike because it thrives in damp, humid weather.

If spring continues with excessive heat like we saw in February, it could limit the growth of some plants and trees. Extreme heat can reduce how much they grow, and how much pollen they produce. On the other hand, if we get a healthy balance of rain and only slightly above-normal temperatures — not extreme heat — pollen counts could climb. That’s especially true as we head into April, typically our windiest month of the year, which helps spread pollen more easily.

How can you treat allergies in Austin?

If you are feeling the effects of allergies, here are some things you can do to lessen them:

Start taking allergy medication at least two weeks before your allergen’s season is supposed to start. Keep taking your allergy medication throughout your allergen’s season, even on low-pollen days.
Vary your allergy medication. You can take a nasal spray, an eye drop and an oral antihistamine at the same time to treat the different symptoms. If one kind of allergy medication isn’t working, consult your doctor about whether you should add a second one or switch out the medication.
Take a shower before going to bed.
Take off outside clothes or shoes when you get into the house.
Do a daily nasal wash such as a neti pot or saline spray.
Consider seeing an allergist to get drops or shots to lessen your reaction to the allergen.

Consider these household tips to improve your chances of keeping allergens away:

Change the filters in your house regularly during cedar fever season.
Vacuum and sweep regularly.
Change your sheets, especially your pillow regularly.
Keep doors and windows closed.
Clean out the vents in your home.
Have your home tested for indoor allergens such as mold.
Wash and brush the animals in your house to lessen the amount of allergens in the air.
Wear a mask outside or inside while you are trying to lessen the pollen or mold indoors.

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Austin, TX

Texas Primary: Breakdown of Texas races

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Democrats tried to stop a mid-decade redistricting effort, but were unsuccessful. Now, we are starting to see some of the candidates emerging in those newly drawn districts. FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski gives a full breakdown.

Posted March 3, 2026 10:32pm CST

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