The Best U.S. cities for a St Patrick’s Day celebration

America’s Best Cities for a St Paddy’s Party
St. Patrick’s Day was among the first holidays to effectively be canceled when the COVID-19 crisis was declared a pandemic in March 2020. While travelers have been able to celebrate in a more traditional manner in recent years, 2023 is poised to be one of the most lively St. Paddy’s celebrations ever. That is if you land at the right destination.

Personal finance website WalletHub recently compared 200 of the largest U.S. cities across four categories—St. Patrick’s Day traditions, costs, safety and accessibility and weather—and 15 key metrics to find the best places to have the most fun celebrating the holiday on a budget. Experts examined more than a dozen important factors for a great holiday, including the number of Irish pubs and restaurants per capita, the lowest price for a three-star hotel on Friday, March 17 and the latest weather forecast.

Here are the 10 U.S. cities that fared the best in this year’s study.

10. Boise, Idaho
Boise is up eight spots from last year to round out the top 10 cities for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration in 2023. Idaho’s capital city will be buzzing on March 17 and all weekend long with festive bar crawls, runs and live music at iconic Irish spots like the famous O’Michael’s Pub & Grill.

9. Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is a city with a party-friendly reputation and it jumps one spot on WalletHub’s list this year to ninth overall. The city ranks fourth in the nation in terms of St. Patrick’s Day traditions—the most heavily weighted category—taking into account parades, history, the share of Irish population, Irish pubs and restaurants per capita, access to bars and Google search interest for “St. Patrick’s Day Events.”

8. Naperville, Illinois
A suburb of Chicago, Naperville can’t compete with the Windy City in terms of iconic tourist attractions but this destination could save travelers some money without having to sacrifice the festivities. After all, it’s number one in WalletHub’s study for St. Paddy’s costs and ranks 13th nationwide in terms of traditions. Naperville has the highest share of the Irish population among the 200 cities analyzed and is tied for the third-lowest average beer price this holiday.

7. Santa Rosa, California
Ranking 40th, the California city of Santa Rosa north of San Francisco boasts the best St. Patrick’s Day weather of any city in the top 10. It also ranks 10th nationwide in terms of safety and accessibility and an impressive 22nd for St. Patrick’s Day traditions.

6. Reno, Nevada
It’s not Las Vegas but Reno that’s Nevada’s best city for a St. Patrick’s Day party this year. The Biggest Little City in the World remains at number six overall on WalletHub’s list, ranking 11th for traditions and offering visitors a slew of outdoor activities in addition to easy access to nearby Lake Tahoe.

5. New York, New York
The Big Apple is one of the biggest risers in 2023, climbing all the way from 11th in 2022 to fifth this year. While New York ranks sixth nationwide for St. Patrick’s Day traditions, the city continues to be hampered by its price tag, ranking 162nd out of 200 cities in terms of costs. Still, New York is tied with Tampa for the most Irish pubs and restaurants per capita and is also tied for the nation’s lowest DUI-related fatalities per capita.

4. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Sliding one spot from a year ago, Pittsburgh’s robust Irish population (fourth) and stellar March 17 traditions (eighth) make it a top-five city for St. Patrick’s Day this year. Nonetheless, the Steel City is unlikely to be a hit with budget-conscious travelers as it ranks 99th for holiday costs.

3. Chicago, Illinois
Up one spot from 2022, the Windy City is tied for the country’s third-lowest average beer price. What’s more, Chicago is the only city in the top 10 to rank inside of the top 10 for both St. Patrick’s Day traditions (seventh) and costs (fifth) this year.

2. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Down one spot from last year, Philadelphia ranks second for St. Patrick’s Day traditions, offering visitors festive parades and Irish pubs in bunches. In fact, Philly ranks fifth nationwide when it comes to the most Irish pubs and restaurants per capita.

1. Boston, Massachusetts
Boston overtakes Philly for the nation’s best city to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day in 2023. The city’s Irish history and culture are undeniable, especially in neighborhoods like South Boston. It also doesn’t hurt that Boston ranks fourth in the country in terms of having the most Irish pubs and restaurants per capita.