Best US Cities to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

The Top 10 Cities to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

To determine the top cities for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, we analyzed three main categories: Irish traditions, cost, and weather. Each city received scores based on Irish pub density, local festivities, beer prices, hotel costs, walkability, and chance of rain. Cities scoring highest across these metrics topped our rankings, ensuring a well-rounded guide to finding the best celebrations nationwide. All scores are out of a maximum of 100.

St. Patrick’s Day Top Cities 

1. Providence, RI

Providence tops our rankings and has the highest traditions score of 94.72 and the most Irish pubs per capita at 4.72 per 100,000. The Providence St. Patrick’s Day Parade and other events, such as the festival in nearby Cranston. The biggest negative this year is the weather, with an 86% chance of rain on St. Patrick’s Day this year.

2. New Orleans, LA

New Orleans comes in at second place. The people of Louisiana are the most active searchers for St. Patrick’s Day Festivities on 77.7. New Orleans is known for its street festivals and parties and St Patrick’s Day is no exception, featuring a cabbage and potato-throwing tradition, unique to the city. The low chance of rain this St. Patrick’s Day should make it a day to remember.

 3. Rochester, NY

Despite the usually cold weather in upstate New York, Rochester boasts one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day Parades in the state outside of New York City. Rochester has some of the lowest average hotel costs and beer costs out of the cities on our list, making it a budget-friendly option for celebrations.

4. Syracuse, NY

Syracuse has the third-highest density of Irish pubs of all the cities on our list at 4.14 per 100,000 people and a high traditions score of 74.48. As with all the cities on our list, it features a parade, but for a unique experience, join in Green Beer Sunday, which typically kicks off St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Syracuse. 

5. Buffalo, NY

Another upstate New York city with a strong score. While not quite as affordable as Rochester, it also features low beer costs at $5.50. Buffalo doesn’t just feature a parade, it features two, including one in the Old First War district, a district of the city with deep and long-standing Irish roots.

6. Tampa, FL

The warm weather of Tampa, like New Orleans, makes it a great spot for outdoor celebrations. Tampa surprisingly features a high density of Irish pubs, with 4.1 per 100,000 people. The city notably features its own version of Chicago’s celebration, by dying the Hillsborough green, but with Florida’s sunshine.

7. Cleveland, OH

Cleveland is a great place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the Midwest, without the high cost of Chicago, with an average hotel cost of $132.50, versus Chicago’s $329. A low chance of rain at 11%  means that outdoor celebrations should be unaffected by the weather, which is all for the better given the large St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

8. Boston, MA

Given its strong historic Irish community, some might be surprised that it does not appear higher up the list. Boston has one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the U.S in South Boston and one of the most walkable. It ranks lower on our list due to the high cost of beer and one of the highest hotel costs among the cities on our list. Plus, there is a high chance of rain this year in New England.

9. Worcester, MA

As with other New England cities this year, rain threatens to negatively impact the outdoor festivities with a 73% chance of rain. Worcester, however, represents a more affordable alternative in Massachussetts than Boston, with more affordable beer and hotel costs for the night. 

10. Savannah, GA

Savannah rounds out the top 10, the best thing? Along with other southern cities this year, has a bery low chance of rain. Savannah has one of the biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the South, where they are famous for duing the water in the fountains green as part of the festivities. While the city is not the most walkable, it is pretty affordable, with a beer costing $6.

The Top US Cities For St. Patrick’s Day By Key Metrics

• Best Weather: New Orleans, LA (0% chance of rain)
• Most Affordable Beer: Rochester, NY ($4.00 per pint)
• Most Irish Pubs per Capita: Providence, RI (4.72 per 100,000)
• Best Walkability: Boston, MA (Walkability Score: 83)
• Cheapest Hotels: Cleveland, OH ($132.50 per night)
• Best Overall Traditions: Providence, RI (Traditions Score: 94.72)
• Most Popular for Celebrations (Search Trends): New Orleans, LA (Trends Score 77.7)
• Most Budget-Friendly Overall: Rochester, NY (Low hotel and beer costs)
• Best Southern Celebration: Savannah, GA (Largest in the South, 0% rain)
• Easiest City to Explore on Foot: Boston, MA (Walkability score: 83)

Methodology

Cities were ranked using the following criteria, with a total max score out of 100.

Irish Traditions & Festivities (50 points)

Irish pubs/restaurants per capita (20 points)

This was sourced from TripAdvisor, taking the total number that show under Restaurants, bars, pubs, with Irish cuisine.

Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade (Yes = 10 points, No = 0 points)

Based on Google Search information.

Google Trends search interest (20 points) – "St. Patrick's Day events," "St. Patrick's Day parade," "St. Patrick's Day party"

Timeframe used was 3 months (12/12/2024 - 12/03/2025), the scores used were that of the state in which the city is located.

Costs & Convenience (30 points)

Average beer cost in a pub/restaurant (15 points)

Data taken from Cost of Living.

Average cost of a 3-star hotel, March 17 for 2 people (15 points)

Data taken from Booking, using the median hotel cost to reduce the impact of outliers, only hotels in the city itself were considered.

Safety & Weather (20 points)

Walkability score (10 points)

Data taken from Walkscore.

Weather forecast for March 17, 2025, likelihood of rain (10 points)

Data taken from Accuweather, March 13th, 2025.

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