Country guide
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
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
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · Fred Hsu on en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · J. Crocker · Attribution
Photograph · Alek Leckszas · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · Carol M. Highsmith · Public domain
Photograph · Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada · CC BY 2.0
Photograph · Lightandtruth · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · Ken Lund from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photograph · Marc Averette · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photograph · Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
745 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is a science institution in Golden Gate Park that brings an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest environment and natural-history museum into one building.
Garfield Park Conservatory is a large historic glasshouse complex on Chicago's West Side. Established in the early twentieth century, it ranks among the largest conservatories in the United States.
Máximo Gómez Park is a public park located in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, Florida. It serves as a significant social gathering space, particularly renowned for its domino-playing culture.
The Ukrainian National Museum is a cultural institution located in Chicago's Ukrainian Village neighborhood. It preserves and presents Ukrainian-American history and material culture for public education.
The Los Angeles Zoo is a municipal zoo located within Griffith Park, one of the largest urban parks in North America. Established as a city-owned facility, it serves as one of the principal attractions of the park complex.
The Chicago Picasso is an untitled monumental sculpture by Pablo Picasso, installed in 1967 in Daley Plaza.
Strawberry Hill is a wooded island hill in Blue Heron Lake, the body of water also known as Stow Lake, inside Golden Gate Park. The hill gives a small but distinct change of elevation within the park’s carefully designed landscape.
Fourth Presbyterian Church
Fourth Presbyterian Church stands on North Michigan Avenue beside the Magnificent Mile, where Gothic Revival architecture meets one of Chicago’s busiest commercial corridors.
Gesu Church is a Catholic parish church in downtown Miami, Florida. It holds distinction as Miami's oldest Catholic parish, serving the community since the city's early development.
Franciscan Monastery and Memorial
Mount St. Sepulchre Franciscan Monastery, commonly called the Franciscan Monastery, is a Romanesque religious complex in Washington, D.C.
Second Presbyterian Church is a historic landmark church in Chicago, Illinois. It was built following the destruction of the congregation's previous building in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
de la Cruz Collection
The de la Cruz Collection is a contemporary art space in Miami's Design District. It was established by Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz to present their private collection to the public.
Universal Studios Florida is a movie and television-themed amusement park operated by Universal Parks & Resorts. It opened in 1990 as the original Universal Orlando destination, predating the adjacent Islands of Adventure.
Universal's Hollywood property differs from a resort park built on an isolated site because film and television production shaped the land around it. The terrain explains much of the park's character.
The Cathedral of the Holy Cross is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.
Fort Funston is a coastal recreation area in southwestern San Francisco within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It occupies high Pacific bluffs shaped by wind and erosion, with broad ocean views and sandy terrain.
Gantry Plaza State Park is a public park on the East River waterfront in Long Island City, Queens, New York City. The park occupies a former industrial site where gantry cranes once loaded and unloaded rail car floats and barges.
Georges Island is a harbor island in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. The island is dominated by Fort Warren, a historic military fortification that played significant roles in American coastal defense.
HistoryMiami Museum
HistoryMiami Museum is the region's leading history museum in Miami, Florida. It operates as a Smithsonian Affiliate institution dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of South Florida and the Caribbean.
The Intuit Art Museum is a specialist museum in Chicago dedicated to intuitive and outsider art. It occupies a distinctive position in the city's cultural landscape by focusing on work created by self-taught artists operating outside the mainstream art world.
Jackson Park is a large public park on Chicago's South Side lakefront. Its landscape is closely associated with the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, whose planning and legacy shaped this part of the city.
Lake Eola Park is a civic lakefront park in central downtown Orlando, arranged around Lake Eola, its shoreline path, open lawns, public gathering areas, and views of the city skyline.
Lands End is a rugged coastal park on San Francisco's northwestern shore, managed by the National Park Service as part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
The National Museum of Mexican Art is a nationally important cultural institution located in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood.
Washington Square Park
Washington Square is a public park and civic green in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. The square functions as a neighborhood gathering space and recreational area for residents and visitors.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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