These are 20 of the coldest US cities in the country. Many sit near the top of America's coldest-places lists year after year. In towns like these, a heated floor isn't a luxury add-on. It's a practical answer to months of hard cold. That's why radiant heat has caught on so widely here.
Each city below has its own story. Some grew up around mining. Others sit at high elevation, or right on the edge of the Arctic. Click through to see what makes each one different, and why radiant heat fits cold-climate homes so well.
#1
Winter avg: ~10°F
International Falls is nicknamed "Icebox of the Nation." It has posted some of the coldest official temperatures in the lower 48.
Read about International Falls →
#2
Winter avg: ~12°F
Hibbing sits on Minnesota's Iron Range, home to the massive Hull-Rust-Mahoning open pit mine. It's also Bob Dylan's birthplace.
Read about Hibbing →
#3
Winter avg: ~13°F
Bemidji sits at the headwaters of the Mississippi River. It's famous for its giant Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statue.
Read about Bemidji →
#4
Winter avg: ~15°F
Williston sits at the heart of the Bakken oil formation. It saw explosive population growth during the North Dakota oil boom.
Read about Williston →
#5
Winter avg: ~18°F
Dickinson sits at the gateway to the North Dakota Badlands. Like Williston, it grew fast during the Bakken oil boom.
Read about Dickinson →
#6
Winter avg: ~20°F
Pierre is South Dakota's state capital, sitting on the Missouri River. It's one of the smallest state capitals in the country.
Read about Pierre →
#7
Winter avg: ~22°F
Helena is Montana's state capital. It grew out of a Gold Rush-era mining camp founded in the 1860s.
Read about Helena →
#8
Winter avg: ~20°F
Gillette calls itself the "Energy Capital of the Nation." It sits at the center of the coal-rich Powder River Basin.
Read about Gillette →
#9
Winter avg: ~22°F
Rock Springs grew up around coal mining and the transcontinental railroad. Its history includes a notably diverse wave of immigrant miners.
Read about Rock Springs →
#10
Winter avg: ~28°F
Twin Falls sits above the dramatic Snake River Canyon and Shoshone Falls, a waterfall taller than Niagara.
Read about Twin Falls →
#11
Winter avg: ~24°F
Elko hosts the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering each winter. It has deep Basque heritage from generations of sheepherders.
Read about Elko →
#12
Winter avg: ~15°F
Presque Isle is known as the "Star City." It sits in Maine's remote northern Aroostook County, near the Canadian border.
Read about Presque Isle →
#13
Winter avg: ~15°F
Saranac Lake sits deep in the Adirondack Mountains. It was once famous as a health resort town for tuberculosis treatment.
Read about Saranac Lake →
#14
Winter avg: ~18°F
Mankato sits where the Minnesota River bends sharply north. It's home to Minnesota State University and a growing regional economy.
Read about Mankato →
#15
Winter avg: ~17°F
Wausau sits along the Wisconsin River in the state's north-central region, historically known for its granite quarries.
Read about Wausau →
#16
Winter avg: ~20°F
La Crosse sits where the Mississippi and La Crosse rivers meet, framed by tall river bluffs. It's known for its annual Oktoberfest.
Read about La Crosse →
#17
Winter avg: ~5°F
Nome was born out of the 1898 Gold Rush. Today it's best known as the finish line of the Iditarod sled dog race.
Read about Nome →
#18
Winter avg: ~18°F
At over 10,150 feet, Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the United States. It boomed as a silver mining town in the 1880s.
Read about Leadville →
#19
Winter avg: ~28°F
Cedar City calls itself "Festival City USA," home to the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespeare Festival. It's also a gateway to several national parks.
Read about Cedar City →
#20
Winter avg: ~20°F
Vernal sits near Dinosaur National Monument, famous for its dense fossil beds. The region has also long been tied to oil and gas production.
Read about Vernal →
A thin electric heating cable or mat installs just beneath your finished flooring. A programmable thermostat controls it, so it only runs when and where you need it. Unlike a furnace, it doesn't rely on blowing air around the room.
In towns this cold, that difference matters. Radiant heat warms a room evenly, floor to ceiling, without drying out already-dry winter air. QuickMat is built for tile and stone. NetMat suits wood, laminate, or carpet. Both are custom laid out to your room's exact size.
