A photograph of United States

Country guide

1 to 2 hours in United States — page 7

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.

  1. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
    132 1 hr 30 min

    Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

    The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is a major film museum in Los Angeles tied to the Academy Awards institution. It opened to the public as a dedicated institution for celebrating and exploring the art and science of cinema.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Los Angeles
  2. Pérez Art Museum Miami Pérez Art Museum Miami
    133 1 hr 30 min

    Pérez Art Museum Miami

    Pérez Art Museum Miami is a waterfront museum in Maurice A. Ferré Park, where architecture, terraces and views across Biscayne Bay frame a collection devoted to modern and contemporary art.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Miami
  3. The Broad The Broad
    134 1 hr 30 min

    The Broad

    The Broad Museum

    The museum opened in 2015 to house the collection assembled by Eli and Edythe Broad. The Broad collection is particularly associated with artists working in the second half of the twentieth century and after.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Los Angeles
  4. Adams National Historical Park Adams National Historical Park
    135 1 hr 30 min

    Adams National Historical Park

    Adams National Historical Park is a National Park Service unit preserving the homes and grounds associated with the Adams family in Quincy, Massachusetts, within the Boston visitor-metro area.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Boston
  5. Eames House Eames House
    136 1 hr 30 min

    Eames House

    The Eames House, also known as Case Study House No. 8, is a landmark modernist residence in Los Angeles, California.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Los Angeles
  6. Louis Armstrong House Louis Armstrong House
    137 1 hr 30 min

    Louis Armstrong House

    Louis Armstrong House Museum

    The Louis Armstrong House Museum preserves the Corona, Queens home where Louis Armstrong and his wife, Lucille, lived from 1943 until Armstrong’s death in 1971.

    • High
    • Museum
    • New York
  7. Michigan Avenue Bridge Michigan Avenue Bridge
    138 1 hr 30 min

    Michigan Avenue Bridge

    McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum

    McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum occupies the historic bridgehouse at the Michigan Avenue Bridge, now known as the DuSable Bridge, over the Chicago River.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Chicago
  8. Paul Revere House Paul Revere House
    139 1 hr 30 min

    Paul Revere House

    The Paul Revere House is Boston's best-preserved Revolutionary-era house museum. Built around 1680, this wooden structure in the North End is the oldest surviving building in downtown Boston.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Boston
  9. President Lincoln's Cottage at the Soldiers' Home President Lincoln's Cottage at the Soldiers' Home
    140 1 hr 30 min

    President Lincoln's Cottage at the Soldiers' Home

    President Lincoln's Cottage

    President Lincoln's Cottage is a historic house museum on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C. It served as Abraham Lincoln's seasonal residence during his presidency, offering retreat from the White House.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Washington
  10. Museum of Science Museum of Science
    141 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Science

    The Museum of Science is a major science museum located in Boston, Massachusetts. It spans the Charles River, situated on a dam between Boston and Cambridge.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Boston
  11. Jewish Museum Jewish Museum
    142 1 hr 30 min

    Jewish Museum

    The Jewish Museum

    The Jewish Museum is a museum of Jewish culture, history, and art on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. It occupies a former mansion in the Museum Mile district, placing it among several major cultural institutions.

    • High
    • Museum
    • New York
  12. Museum of the Moving Image Museum of the Moving Image
    143 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of the Moving Image

    Museum of the Moving Image is a museum in Astoria, Queens, devoted to film, television, and digital media. It brings together the creative, technical, and cultural sides of moving images in one visit.

    • High
    • Museum
    • New York
  13. Marina City Marina City
    144 2 hours

    Marina City

    Marina City is a mixed-use residential complex in downtown Chicago, Illinois, notable for its distinctive corncob-shaped twin towers.

    • High
    • Activity
    • Chicago
  14. Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
    145 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

    Museum of Contemporary Art

    Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is a contemporary-art museum founded in 1967 near Water Tower Place. Its visitor experience is defined by changing exhibitions, installations, painting, sculpture, media art, performances, commissions, talks, and public spaces.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Chicago
  15. National Zoological Park National Zoological Park
    146 1 hr 30 min

    National Zoological Park

    The National Zoological Park is a Smithsonian Institution zoo in Washington, D.C. Established in 1889, it is one of the oldest zoos in the United States.

    • High
    • Family attraction
    • Washington
  16. Harvard Museum of Natural History Harvard Museum of Natural History
    147 1 hr 30 min

    Harvard Museum of Natural History

    The Harvard Museum of Natural History is Harvard University's public natural-history museum, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near Boston.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Boston
  17. Legion of Honor Legion of Honor
    148 1 hr 30 min

    Legion of Honor

    The Legion of Honor is a major European-art museum located in Lincoln Park, San Francisco. It occupies a dramatic coastal setting overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge.

    • High
    • Museum
    • San Francisco
  18. Andrew Carnegie Mansion Andrew Carnegie Mansion
    149 1 hr 30 min

    Andrew Carnegie Mansion

    Cooper–Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

    The Andrew Carnegie Mansion houses the Cooper–Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, a design museum forming part of the Smithsonian Institution. Located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the building was constructed as a private residence for industrialist Andrew Carnegie.

    • High
    • Museum
    • New York
  19. Exploratorium Exploratorium
    150 1 hr 30 min

    Exploratorium

    The Exploratorium is a museum of science, art and human perception at Pier 15 on the Embarcadero. Its galleries are built around experiments that visitors operate, compare and discuss rather than objects viewed from a distance.

    • High
    • Museum
    • San Francisco
  20. Harvard Art Museums Harvard Art Museums
    151 1 hr 30 min

    Harvard Art Museums

    Harvard Art Museums is Harvard University's major public art collection and gallery complex in Cambridge, Massachusetts, adjacent to Boston. The institution brings together three formerly separate museums: the Fogg Museum, the Busch-Reisinger Museum, and the Arthur M.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Boston
  21. Museum of the City of New York Museum of the City of New York
    152 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of the City of New York

    The Museum of the City of New York is a history and art museum located on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, facing Central Park. Founded in 1923, it occupies a Georgian Colonial Revival building designed to house its collections.

    • High
    • Museum
    • New York
  22. Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
    153 1 hr 30 min

    Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology

    The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is a museum at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near Boston. Founded in 1866, it is one of the oldest museums devoted to anthropology in the world.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Boston
  23. Queens Museum Queens Museum
    154 1 hr 30 min

    Queens Museum

    The Queens Museum is a public art museum located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York City.

    • High
    • Museum
    • New York
  24. Bronx Zoo Bronx Zoo
    155 1 hr 30 min

    Bronx Zoo

    Bronx Zoo is a zoological park located in the Bronx borough of New York City. It is one of the largest metropolitan zoos in the United States, covering extensive grounds within Bronx Park.

    • High
    • Family attraction
    • New York
  25. Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
    156 1 hr 30 min

    Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

    Intrepid Museum

    The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is a military and maritime history museum aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, a National Historic Landmark. The museum complex includes the carrier itself, the submarine USS Growler, and the British Airways Concorde.

    • High
    • Museum
    • New York

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.