For lots of families in the United States, autumn means football. The best football towns in the U.S. don’t necessarily have to have the best teams (though that helps). Fan base loyalty goes a long way to promoting the general mood in the stadiums and among tailgaters.

This is not just about football: Love of the game, a mostly collegial atmosphere and an NFL team all go in to the best football towns in the U.S.

Dallas/Ft. Worth

The Dallas Cowboys play in Ft. Worth, around half an hour from downtown Dallas. Folks drive in from much further away just to tailgate the games. Texas “means” football, so the fervid fans there bump Dallas up to No. 1 regardless of the team’s performance year to year. Not to mention the Dallas Cowboys’ cheerleaders. After the Lakers, they are the most famous cheerleaders in the country.

The Homewood Suites by Hilton Dallas Market Center hotel is only two miles from downtown Dallas, and close to family friendly attractions like the Dallas Arboretum, Dallas Art District, and the Dallas market Center. medieval Times is just half a mile away, and Six Flags is 25 miles away.

Green Bay

The Packers of Green Bay, WI ,take football very seriously despite all the face paint, yelling and screaming. (Actually, the face paint, yelling and screaming points to how seriously packers fans take the game.) Home games are played in historic Lambeau Field. The Green Bay Packers are one of the oldest professional sports teams in the U.S., and among the winningest as well: The Packers have the most championships in NFL history.

Pittsburgh

Do the Steelers have the most rabid fans? Well, what colors do you you see in Pittsburgh on game day besides yellow and black? (Answer: not many.) Ben Roethlisberger is one of the most famous quarterbacks currently playing.  The 2011 Steelers have some fresh young players added to play defense, raising fans’ hopes for a great season.

The Homewood Suites by Hilton Pittsburgh-Southpointe is 30 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh. The Pirates and the Penguins are also hometown teams with fervent fan bases, so a sport-loving family can find a good excuse to come to Pittsburgh several times a year. Other kid-friendly attractions are the PA Trolley Museum, Sarris Candies, and of course the Ice-o-Plex.

Chicago

Anyone who’s seen reruns of old Saturday Night Live shows remember seeing skits about “da Bears,” and what was true then holds true today. The Chicago Bears don’t have to be a great NFL team to have some of the greatest fans around. In fact, that’s part of the appeal. Lots of sports buffs are looking to Jay Cutler having one of his best seasons this year, and Chicago hope runs eternal for their beloved Bears.

The Homewood Suites by Hilton Chicago Downtown is one of the most beautiful in the family of hotels. It’s very near the famous Magnificent Mile. Of course, Chicago has a wealth of family friendly things to do as well: the Adler Planetarium, Navy Pier, Lincoln Park Zoo, Shedd Aquarium and the Chicago Children’s Museum are just a few of the attractions for a fun family trip.

Miami

The Miami Dolphins’ stadium, the Land Shark Stadium, is known for tailgating festivities with Cuban infusion BBQ. Even in the fall, though, Miami is hot and humid. It can be so sticky that tailgating ends up meaning dragging lawn chairs to bits of shade. But the heat and humidity hardly slows down the Dolphins’ fanbase.

Homewood Suites by Hilton Miami Airport/Blue Lagoon and Homewood Suites by Hilton Miami – Airport West are both good home bases for a family trip to Miami. Besides catching a Dolphins home game, families can swim in the pool year-round (this is Florida, after all) and check out the Miami Seaquarium, Miami Children’s Museum and Jungle Island.

Honorable Mention:

Kansas City

The Kansas City Chiefs’ stadium, Arrowhead, is arguably the best for tailgating in the country. After all, Kansas City is the barbeque capital of the country, and barbecuing is what tailgate parties are all about. The fun of attending an NFL football game isn’t limited to actually watching the game, naturally; the real fun often happens socializing with other fans. Not sure how good a year the Chiefs will be having in the 2011 season, though.

New York

While the city has three football teams – the Jets, and the Giants (though both actually play in New Jersey, they are NY teams) and the Bills – for rabid fan response, it’s really a baseball town. Sorry, New York, you don’t get to be on every top 5 list!