Summertime is upon us, and with it comes fun in the sun. Pools, splash pads, and beaches are all excellent places to cool off as the temperatures rise. Those who frequent the beaches know all too well how sand heats up quickly as the morning sun rises. Before looking at the hottest beaches, let’s dig deeper into the relationship between heat, sand, and water. ( Read our list of the average summer temperature every decade since 1895. )
Before flocking to the beach this summer, grab your water shoes to avoid the miserable feeling when your feet come into contact with scorching sand. Making a mad dash into the ocean will give you instant relief, but why precisely does sand heat up so much faster than water? The answer is found in the specific heat capacity . Sand has a lower amount of specific heat, meaning it requires very little energy from the sun to heat up. Additionally, since the sand is high-density, it has a higher heat capacity. The higher the density, the higher the amounts of thermal energy being used.
Another interesting tidbit: darker sand holds more heat than lighter sand.
The ocean water however, thankfully, takes longer to heat up because it has a higher specific heat capacity.
It is extremely important to protect yourself from the hot sun and hot sand. By wearing sandals or water shoes to the beach or coming earlier in the morning or later in the evening, you can be responsible and prepared for the heat, especially since it is possible that on a 90-degree day, beach sand may reach up to more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Now that you know why beach sand has the capability to heat up to scorching temperatures, let’s take a look at the hottest beaches around.
To determine the hottest beaches, 24/7 Tempo reviewed tract-level data on land surface temperature from the USGS Landsat program and the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey . Cities were ranked based on the average land surface temperature in July and August among census tracts intersecting U.S. coastline. Census tract data were aggregated to the Census place level using spatial boundary definitions from the U.S. Census Bureau. Only cities with at least 1,000 residents and 15% of housing units vacant for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use were included.
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2T3MRs_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=2T3MRs_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Jim Schwabel / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 90.8°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 31.0%
- Total population: 1,718
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1VTgT7_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=1VTgT7_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: John Duncan Aerial / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 90.9°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 48.1%
- Total population: 1,103
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0jXyuh_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=0jXyuh_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Dlohcierekim’s sock. / Wikimedia Commons
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.0°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 24.9%
- Total population: 1,320
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2GXioV_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=2GXioV_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Pat Boullion / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.1°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 21.0%
- Total population: 5,802
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1X8Zss_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=1X8Zss_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: fivetonine / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.2°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 16.4%
- Total population: 10,766
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=48erfa_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=48erfa_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: lucky-photographer / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.2°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 26.4%
- Total population: 14,572
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2pSr4d_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=2pSr4d_0uAUi1sv00)
20180225 07 Geodesic Dome, Nav… (
CC BY 2.0 ) by
David Wilson - Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.4°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 56.2%
- Total population: 1,594
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0fY65x_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=0fY65x_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Sean Rayford / Getty Images News via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.4°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 45.1%
- Total population: 18,850
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0tz5b1_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=0tz5b1_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Wirestock Creators / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.4°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 21.2%
- Total population: 4,072
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0GrjSA_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=0GrjSA_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: ablokhin / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.5°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 52.9%
- Total population: 9,115
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1o7CZe_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=1o7CZe_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Jeri Bland / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.5°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 17.7%
- Total population: 10,821
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0A8RbV_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=0A8RbV_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: nakrnsm / Flickr
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.6°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 60.0%
- Total population: 1,240
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0nqyHV_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=0nqyHV_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: UWMadison / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.7°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 42.9%
- Total population: 10,885
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Cijhn_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=0Cijhn_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: John McAdorey / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.7°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 21.4%
- Total population: 1,792
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1i9pb3_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=1i9pb3_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Art Wager / E+ via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.9°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 19.8%
- Total population: 3,956
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1Ugeup_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=1Ugeup_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: benedek / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.0°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 50.5%
- Total population: 15,942
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1Wy7ZI_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=1Wy7ZI_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: LUNAMARINA / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.0°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 24.9%
- Total population: 11,334
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1yHCfS_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=1yHCfS_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: GabrielPevide / E+ via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.0°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 52.1%
- Total population: 3,035
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4JKj5Z_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=4JKj5Z_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: felixmizioznikov / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.0°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 29.3%
- Total population: 5,625
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4ZVUNp_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=4ZVUNp_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: halbergman / E+ via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.2°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 17.1%
- Total population: 10,698
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=10TbSZ_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=10TbSZ_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: RobHainer / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.2°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 54.5%
- Total population: 18,281
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3Jhpy3_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=3Jhpy3_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: negaprion / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.2°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 41.1%
- Total population: 19,315
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4YXNoB_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=4YXNoB_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: xpoint / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.4°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 20.0%
- Total population: 18,871
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0g29bV_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=0g29bV_0uAUi1sv00)
St. Simons beach (
CC BY 2.0 ) by
Ralph Daily - Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.5°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 22.1%
- Total population: 15,983
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2gMb5k_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=2gMb5k_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Darkdan / Wikimedia Commons
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.8°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 23.4%
- Total population: 4,268
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0lGb3O_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=0lGb3O_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.9°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 42.7%
- Total population: 9,205
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3Svml4_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=3Svml4_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Nature, food, landscape, travel / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 93.1°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 39.4%
- Total population: 2,361
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2qaEEk_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=2qaEEk_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Big Wil / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 93.3°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 24.2%
- Total population: 3,129
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0u1Uaf_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=0u1Uaf_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: kylet888 / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 93.5°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 56.8%
- Total population: 4,733
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1TFclB_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=1TFclB_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: LG Media Group / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 93.5°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 22.0%
- Total population: 82,400
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0WNTer_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=0WNTer_0uAUi1sv00)
Sunrise (
CC BY 2.0 ) by
Timothy Balogh - Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 93.7°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 40.4%
- Total population: 4,179
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3DNfLz_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=3DNfLz_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Gayne Dorio / Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 93.8°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 29.9%
- Total population: 3,689
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1GI0jc_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=1GI0jc_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 93.9°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 19.1%
- Total population: 36,064
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1f7AN5_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=1f7AN5_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Shackleford-Photography / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 93.9°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 44.4%
- Total population: 2,225
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3DVuwP_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=3DVuwP_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: mlauffen / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 94.1°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 26.1%
- Total population: 3,441
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1k4kbr_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=1k4kbr_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: felixmizioznikov / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 94.2°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 16.4%
- Total population: 86,455
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Ck4SJ_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=0Ck4SJ_0uAUi1sv00)
Lake view in Pelican Bay (
CC BY 2.0 ) by
naplesrealestate - Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 94.6°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 41.4%
- Total population: 6,380
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0axW8L_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=0axW8L_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Jessica Peoples / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 94.7°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 37.2%
- Total population: 1,712
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3a70JY_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=3a70JY_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Art Wager / E+ via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 94.9°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 24.6%
- Total population: 41,102
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3KeMh4_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=3KeMh4_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: vmargineanu / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 95.0°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 43.1%
- Total population: 5,535
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2xoV6Y_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=2xoV6Y_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: RoschetzkyIstockPhoto /iStock / Getty Images Plus
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 95.1°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 34.2%
- Total population: 3,072
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2GNCkF_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=2GNCkF_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Serenethos / Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 95.1°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 45.6%
- Total population: 6,202
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1oJ8nB_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=1oJ8nB_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: WanderDrone / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 95.2°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 36.3%
- Total population: 13,923
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1mcP5z_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=1mcP5z_0uAUi1sv00)
Port Isabel, South Padre Islan… (
CC BY 2.0 ) by
Vince Smith - Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 95.3°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 77.3%
- Total population: 2,386
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4I5pBg_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=4I5pBg_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Felix Mizioznikov / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 95.3°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 42.7%
- Total population: 4,261
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0l5cqu_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=0l5cqu_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: MargaretW / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 95.6°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 46.6%
- Total population: 1,648
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0409ZP_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=0409ZP_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Jewelzz / Shutterstock.com
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 95.7°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 60.4%
- Total population: 1,182
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3ej7Ir_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=3ej7Ir_0uAUi1sv00)
Beach at Canaveral National Seashore at Cape Canaveral, Florida (
Shutterstock.com ) by
Susanne Pommer - Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 96.4°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 24.9%
- Total population: 9,980
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3S59im_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=3S59im_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Art Wager / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 96.5°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 15.5%
- Total population: 53,265
![https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2PNYpC_0uAUi1sv00](https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&url=2PNYpC_0uAUi1sv00)
Source: Lisa5201 / iStock via Getty Images
- Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 98.1°F
- Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 24.0%
- Total population: 25,710
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