A photograph of United States

Country guide

Up to 1 hour in United States — page 17

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. Craig Ranch Regional Park Craig Ranch Regional Park
    401 1 hour

    Craig Ranch Regional Park

    Craig Ranch Regional Park is a large regional park serving the Las Vegas area. It provides an outdoor setting for walking, recreation, open-air gatherings, and time away from the concentrated casino environment.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Las Vegas
  2. Crandon Beach Crandon Beach
    402 1 hour

    Crandon Beach

    Crandon Beach is a public beach located within Crandon Park on Key Biscayne, an island south of mainland Miami. It forms part of a larger county park managed by Miami-Dade County.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Miami
  3. Crandon Park Crandon Park
    403 1 hour

    Crandon Park

    Crandon Park is a Miami-Dade County coastal park on Key Biscayne, reached beyond the Rickenbacker Causeway.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Miami
  4. Crown Fountain Crown Fountain
    404 45 min

    Crown Fountain

    Crown Fountain is an interactive public art installation located in Chicago's Millennium Park.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Chicago
  5. Dezerland Park Orlando
    405 45 min

    Dezerland Park Orlando

    Dezerland Park Orlando is an indoor entertainment complex in Orlando’s International Drive visitor corridor, designed around a mix of attractions, games, and family-oriented activities.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Orlando
  6. Duke Kahanamoku Statue Duke Kahanamoku Statue
    406 45 min

    Duke Kahanamoku Statue

    The Duke Kahanamoku Statue stands beside Waikīkī Beach as a bronze memorial to Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, the Hawaiian Olympic swimmer and surfer who helped popularize surfing around the world.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Honolulu
  7. Fort DeRussy Beach Park Fort DeRussy Beach Park
    407 1 hour

    Fort DeRussy Beach Park

    Fort DeRussy Beach Park is a broad sandy beach on the western edge of Waikīkī in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Honolulu
  8. Foster Botanical Garden Foster Botanical Garden
    408 1 hour

    Foster Botanical Garden

    Foster Botanical Garden is a historic botanical garden located in central Honolulu. It is one of the five sites comprising the Honolulu Botanical Gardens system, which is managed by the City and County of Honolulu.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Honolulu
  9. Fremont Street Experience Fremont Street Experience
    409 45 min

    Fremont Street Experience

    Fremont Street Experience is a pedestrian entertainment district spanning several blocks of historic Downtown Las Vegas beneath the Viva Vision canopy. It links long-running casinos with live stages, street activity and the SlotZilla zipline.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Las Vegas
  10. Golden Gate Bridge Golden Gate Bridge
    410 45 min

    Golden Gate Bridge

    Golden Gate Bridge is the 2.7-kilometre suspension bridge linking San Francisco with Marin County across the Golden Gate strait. Opened in 1937, its International Orange towers and main span became the city's clearest engineering symbol.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • San Francisco
  11. Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company
    411 45 min

    Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company

    Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory

    The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory is a long-running workshop tucked along Ross Alley in San Francisco's Chinatown. It represents a compact, specific destination for visitors interested in the cultural and culinary heritage of one of North America's oldest Chinatowns.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • San Francisco
  12. Grandview Open Space Grandview Open Space
    412 1 hour

    Grandview Open Space

    Grandview Park is a compact elevated open space in San Francisco's Inner Sunset neighborhood. The small hilltop park offers visitors panoramic views across the city, extending to the Pacific Ocean and downtown skyline on clear days.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • San Francisco
  13. Hobie Island Beach
    413 1 hour

    Hobie Island Beach

    Hobie Island Beach is a natural coastal site in Miami, distinct from the separately named Hobie Island Beach Park. Its identity is tied to the beach itself and its shoreline setting rather than to a developed visitor complex.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Miami
  14. Holona Beach Cove Holona Beach Cove
    414 45 min

    Holona Beach Cove

    Halona Beach Cove

    Halona Beach Cove is a small, scenic coastal inlet located beneath the Halona Blowhole Lookout on the southeastern shore of Oahu, near Honolulu.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Honolulu
  15. Hudson Yards Hudson Yards
    415 45 min

    Hudson Yards

    Hudson Yards is a neighborhood and real estate development on Manhattan's West Side in New York City. Built over a working rail yard, it represents one of the largest private real estate developments in United States history.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • New York
  16. Kite Hill Open Space Kite Hill Open Space
    416 1 hour

    Kite Hill Open Space

    Kite Hill is a small open space in San Francisco's Castro district. It functions as a neighborhood overlook with views toward the downtown skyline.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • San Francisco
  17. Korean War Veterans Memorial Korean War Veterans Memorial
    417 45 min

    Korean War Veterans Memorial

    The Korean War Veterans Memorial honors American and allied military personnel who served in the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., this outdoor memorial occupies a triangular site near the Lincoln Memorial.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Washington, D.C.
  18. La Brea Tar Pits La Brea Tar Pits
    418 45 min

    La Brea Tar Pits

    The deposits at La Brea preserve evidence from the late Pleistocene, including dire wolves, saber-toothed cats, mammoths, plants and much smaller organisms.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Los Angeles
  19. Lake Baldwin Park Lake Baldwin Park
    419 1 hour

    Lake Baldwin Park

    Lake Baldwin Park is a lakefront public park in Orlando's Baldwin Park neighbourhood. Its distinctive feature is a dog beach on Lake Baldwin, where visitors can bring dogs for water recreation.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Orlando
  20. Las Vegas Strip Las Vegas Strip
    420 45 min

    Las Vegas Strip

    The Las Vegas Strip is the resort corridor along Las Vegas Boulevard where the city’s largest casinos, theatres, restaurants and themed public interiors form one continuous visitor district.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Las Vegas
  21. Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
    421 45 min

    Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site

    Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site is a Georgian-style historic house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, across the Charles River from Boston. George Washington used the mansion as his headquarters during the Siege of Boston from 1775 to 1776.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Boston
  22. Los Angeles Plaza Historic District Los Angeles Plaza Historic District
    422 45 min

    Los Angeles Plaza Historic District

    El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument

    El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument is the historic settlement core of Los Angeles, California. It encompasses the area around the original plaza where the city was founded in 1781.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Los Angeles
  23. Lummus Park Lummus Park
    423 1 hour

    Lummus Park

    Lummus Park is a beachfront public park along Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. Its sandy shore, palm-lined promenade and open green areas form a long outdoor corridor beside the Atlantic Ocean.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Miami
  24. Makapuu Beach Park Makapuu Beach Park
    424 1 hour

    Makapuu Beach Park

    Makapuʻu Beach Park is a beach on Oʻahu’s Windward Coast, backed by sea cliffs and facing the exposed ocean below Makapuʻu Point.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Honolulu
  25. Miami Design District Miami Design District
    425 45 min

    Miami Design District

    Miami Design District is a purpose-built cultural and commercial quarter north of downtown Miami, where streets, buildings, art, fashion and dining are planned as one visitor experience.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Miami

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.