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United States

At 9,833,520 km² the United States has the fourth-largest land area in the world, and its 50 states and federal district span enough longitude that the ordinary...

Photograph · Tuxyso · CC BY-SA 3.0

43,277 Places
10Cities

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

At 9,833,520 km² the United States has the fourth-largest land area in the world, and its 50 states and federal district span enough longitude that the ordinary clock runs from UTC−4 to UTC−10, with the territories reaching −12, +10 and +11. The 2025 population estimate is 341,784,857. Washington, D.C. is the capital and New York the largest city, but neither stands in for the rest of it. Distance is the planning problem here, not choice: a trip works far better as one region covered properly than as anything resembling a national tour.

Checked 2026-08-25

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
English is the principal language; no federal official language
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+1
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
United States dollar (USD)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
911
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A and B · 120 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
Water quality is regulated locally; check the current notice for the destination

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

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174 places match

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Category

Historic monuments 157 Museums 1 Places of worship 33 Nature sites 174 Viewpoints 15 Food and drink 1 Markets and shopping 19 Entertainment 2 Nightlife 0 Family attractions 0 Art and culture 53 Activities 1

Typical visit duration

Up to 1 hour 174 1 to 2 hours 1 Half a day or more 1

Interests

History 0 Art 0 Museums 0 Nature 3 Sea and beach 3 Viewpoints 0
  1. Lincoln Park Conservatory Lincoln Park Conservatory
    07 1 hour

    Lincoln Park Conservatory

    The Lincoln Park Conservatory is a historic glasshouse greenhouse located within Lincoln Park on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Chicago
  2. Valley of Fire State Park Valley of Fire State Park
    08 1 hour

    Valley of Fire State Park

    Valley of Fire State Park is a public recreation and nature preservation area in Nevada, located approximately fifty miles northeast of Las Vegas. Established in 1934, it is Nevada's oldest state park.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Las Vegas
  3. Wekiwa Springs State Park Wekiwa Springs State Park
    09 1 hour

    Wekiwa Springs State Park

    Wekiwa Springs State Park is a protected natural area in Apopka, northwest of Orlando. Its defining feature is Wekiwa Springs, a first-magnitude spring that feeds the Wekiva River.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Orlando
  4. Alcatraz Island Alcatraz Island
    10 1 hour

    Alcatraz Island

    Alcatraz Island is a National Park Service historic site in San Francisco Bay, best known for the federal penitentiary that operated from 1934 to 1963.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • San Francisco
  5. National Mall National Mall
    11 1 hour

    National Mall

    National Mall is Washington, D.C.’s great civic landscape: a broad east–west sequence of lawns, memorial grounds, museums, reflecting pools, and monumental views. It is best experienced as a connected outdoor route rather than as one enclosed attraction.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Washington
  6. Bryant Park Bryant Park
    12 1 hour

    Bryant Park

    Bryant Park is a public park located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The park occupies a rectangular plot between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, and between 40th Street and 42nd Street.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • New York
  7. Grant Park Grant Park
    13 1 hour

    Grant Park

    Grant Park is a large urban park located in the central lakefront area of Chicago, Illinois. It serves as a major public green space connecting several significant cultural and recreational destinations along the shoreline of Lake Michigan.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Chicago
  8. Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park
    14 1 hour

    Golden Gate Park

    Golden Gate Park is a long urban landscape running from the central city toward Ocean Beach.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • San Francisco
  9. United States Botanic Garden United States Botanic Garden
    15 1 hour

    United States Botanic Garden

    The United States Botanic Garden is the national living-plant museum of the United States. Established by Congress in 1820, it stands beside the U.S. Capitol on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Washington
  10. Prospect Park Prospect Park
    16 1 hour

    Prospect Park

    Prospect Park is a major public park in Brooklyn, New York City. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the same landscape architects behind Manhattan's Central Park, it opened to the public in 1867.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • New York
  11. Union Square Union Square
    17 1 hour

    Union Square

    Union Square Park

    Union Square Park is a historic public park in Manhattan, New York City. It functions as a significant gathering space at the intersection of Broadway and Fourth Avenue, extending from 14th to 17th Streets.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • New York
  12. Hyde Park Art Center Hyde Park Art Center
    18 1 hour

    Hyde Park Art Center

    Hyde Park Art Center is an independent nonprofit contemporary-art space and community arts hub in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. Founded in 1939, the center is one of the city's oldest alternative exhibition spaces.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Chicago
  13. Governors Island Governors Island
    19 1 hour

    Governors Island

    Governors Island is a 172-acre island in New York Harbor, situated approximately 800 yards south of Manhattan. The island has served multiple historical functions, including as a military base for the U.S.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • New York
  14. Presidio of San Francisco Presidio of San Francisco
    20 1 hour

    Presidio of San Francisco

    The Presidio of San Francisco is a vast former military post turned national park site at the Golden Gate.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • San Francisco
  15. Boston Public Garden Boston Public Garden
    21 1 hour

    Boston Public Garden

    Boston Public Garden is a living civic landscape in the heart of Boston and the nation’s first public botanical garden, established in 1837.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Boston
  16. Griffith Park Griffith Park
    22 1 hour

    Griffith Park

    Griffith Park is a large municipal park in Los Angeles, California. It covers extensive terrain in the eastern Santa Monica Mountains and represents one of the largest urban parks in North America.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Los Angeles
  17. Boston Common Boston Common
    23 1 hour

    Boston Common

    Boston Common is a nearly 50-acre public park in the centre of Boston, established in 1634 and managed by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Boston
  18. Madison Square and Madison Square Park Madison Square and Madison Square Park
    24 1 hour

    Madison Square and Madison Square Park

    Madison Square Park

    Madison Square Park is a public park in the Flatiron District of Manhattan, New York City. The park occupies approximately 6.2 acres at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway at 23rd Street.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • New York
  19. Millennium Park Millennium Park
    25 1 hour

    Millennium Park

    Millennium Park is a civic park built over rail infrastructure at the northwest corner of Grant Park. Its visitor experience is defined by Cloud Gate, Crown Fountain, Lurie Garden, Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Great Lawn, and BP Bridge.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Chicago
  20. High Line High Line
    26 1 hour

    High Line

    The High Line

    The High Line is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan's West Side. It runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th and 12th Avenues.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • New York
  21. West Potomac Park West Potomac Park
    27 1 hour

    West Potomac Park

    West Potomac Park is a large public park in Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. It forms part of the broader National Mall and Memorial Parks area.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Washington
  22. Theodore Roosevelt Island Theodore Roosevelt Island
    28 1 hour

    Theodore Roosevelt Island

    Theodore Roosevelt Island is a wooded island memorial in the Potomac River, accessible by footbridge from Virginia. It honors the twenty-sixth President of the United States, known for conservation and progressive reform.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Washington
  23. Waikiki Beach Waikiki Beach
    29 1 hour

    Waikiki Beach

    Waikīkī Beach

    Waikīkī Beach is Honolulu’s best-known urban beach and the seafront focus of Waikīkī.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Honolulu
  24. Arnold Arboretum Arnold Arboretum
    30 1 hour

    Arnold Arboretum

    Arnold Arboretum is a botanical research institution and public park in Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 1872, it serves as Harvard University's living collection of woody plants.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Boston
  25. Flushing Meadows–Corona Park Flushing Meadows–Corona Park
    31 1 hour

    Flushing Meadows–Corona Park

    Flushing Meadows-Corona Park

    Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is a large public park in the northern part of Queens, New York City. It was created for the 1939 New York World's Fair and later hosted the 1964 World's Fair.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • New York
Show 25 more places

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to United States be?

Ten to fourteen days should focus on one US region: New York, Washington, and Boston work together by rail, while San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas form a different trip. Miami, Orlando, and Honolulu each require separate travel time and should not be appended casually.

What entry documents are needed for United States?

US admission depends on passport, visa status, and eligibility for the Visa Waiver Program and ESTA. Confirm both the Department of State visa guidance and Customs and Border Protection requirements for the actual route.

What is the best way to travel around United States?

Domestic flights are often necessary between US regions, while Amtrak is strongest on the Northeast Corridor. A car is unnecessary in New York or Washington but can be useful in Los Angeles and beyond compact city centres.

When is a practical time to visit United States?

April to May and September to October are broad shoulder-season references, not a national weather forecast. Florida heat, western wildfire conditions, hurricane exposure, and Hawaii's trans-Pacific logistics require destination-specific checks.

What money and payment basics apply in United States?

The United States uses the US dollar (USD). Card use is widespread, but taxes, deposits, and gratuities can make the final amount differ from the displayed base price; keep a second payment method for holds or terminal failures.

What practical safety details should I save for United States?

Dial 911 for police, fire, or medical emergencies in the United States. Type A and B sockets use 120 V; national tap-water safety is not recorded here, so consult the local utility or accommodation.