Study: Here’s Where to Find the Best St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations in the US

When it comes to St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the United States most people immediately think of Chicago. The city dyes its river green each year to ring in the holiday. With a large Irish-American population, the parade and subsequent celebrations are part of the city’s identity.

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But Chicago is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. There are dozens of Irish American organizations across the country that are active in their communities, from large cities to smaller towns.

This year, Wallet Hub, a personal finance company, dove deep into 15 metrics to rank the best celebrations in the country. From the length of St. Patrick’s Day history to number of Irish bars to the average price of beer, the study unpacks both historic and modern St. Pat’s efforts.

These metrics are broken down into four main categories, including St. Patrick’s Day traditions, costs for attending events, safety and accessibility, and St. Patrick’s Day weather. After all, most St. Patrick’s Day celebrations take place outside… and they’re less fun when there’s snow on the ground.

Think you know which cities rank highest? Let’s dive in.

Boston takes first place—and Savannah makes the top three

The top three cities for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day are Boston, Massachusetts; Reno, Nevada; and Savannah, Georgia.

Boston took first place thanks to its long list of festive activities. The St. Patrick’s Day parade in Boston brings around one million visitors into town. It also dates back to 1742, making it one of the oldest in the country. It predates our independence from Britain.

Reno takes second place thanks to its vibrant traditions. There’s a leprechaun bar crawl, for example, which takes place downtown. There’s also an annual Leprechaun 5K Race, for anyone who’s more health minded.

But how did Savannah, Georgia, end up third in the rankings for best St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the US? Based on the Wallet Hub study, it’s the size of its large parade. Savannah welcomes around half a million visitors each year who come to experience St. Patrick’s Day traditions like trad music, Irish dancing, Irish pub crawls, and more.

Here’s the top ten rankings:

1. Boston, MA
2. Reno, NV
3. Savannah, GA
4. Overland Park, KS
5. Henderson, NV
6. Omaha, NE
7. New York, NY
8. St. Paul, MN
9. Worcester, MA
10. Buffalo, NY