United States
United States of America
North America · USA
Editorial Snapshot
Why Go To United States
The United States works for travelers who want scale and variety more than a single coherent trip style. You can build around landmark cities, national parks, road trips, music scenes, beaches, ski regions, or food-heavy urban stops, but it pays to treat the country as a set of separate trips rather than one giant itinerary.
Popular For
Things To See
- New York City
- Grand Canyon
- Yellowstone
- California coast
- New Orleans
- Hawaii
Best Months
Best Months For Winter Travel
Know Before You Go
- The country is usually better approached one region at a time, since New England, the Southwest, Florida, Hawaii, and the Rockies all work differently.
- Domestic flights make long distances manageable, but the best trips still stay fairly focused instead of trying to cover the whole map.
- Weather varies sharply by region, so the best month for national parks, cities, beaches, and ski trips is not the same.
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Flights
Hotels & Accommodations
Compare stays across major booking options
Open hotel and accommodation options for United States.
Guidebooks
Lonely Planet USA
Lonely Planet
Comprehensive guide to American attractions, cities, and road trips across all 50 states.
View on Amazon →
Fodor's USA
Fodor's Travel Guides
Expert-curated recommendations for the best American destinations and travel experiences.
View on Amazon →
DK Eyewitness USA
DK Eyewitness
Visually rich guide with detailed maps and illustrations of America's top destinations.
View on Amazon →Tours & Activities
Country Data
Stats At A Glance
Practical travel, safety, climate, and quality-of-life stats for United States.
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Washington, D.C.
- Population
- 340,110,988
- Area
- 9,525,067 km²
- Region
- North America
Languages
- English
Currency
United States dollar ($)
USD
1 USD = 1.00 USD
Cost of Living (World Bank)
100.0
Price level index (US = 100)
- Groceries
- 74.0
- Restaurants
- 72.8
- Rent
- 40.7
Safety & Peace
higher score = safer everyday environment · derived from World Bank homicide data
lower score = more peaceful · 1.0–3.5 scale
Monthly Climate Averages
These weather averages are based on data for Washington, D.C. (38.89°N, 77.05°W).
LGBTQ+ Friendly
75/100
Traveler LGBTQ score
- Legal protections
- 90/100
- Lived safety
- 47/100
This traveler-facing score is lower than the legal protections score because lived-safety context is weaker, based on broader traveler safety and development conditions.
This score blends legal protections with lived-safety context so strong laws alone do not automatically push a country to the top of the ranking.
- Homosexuality legal✅
- Relationship recognitionMarriage
- Adoption recognition✅
- Anti-discrimination laws✅
- Employment protections✅
- Legal gender recognition✅
- Conversion therapy ban❌
Human Development Index (UNDP)
0.938
Very high human development
- 5-year change
- +0.004
- 10-year change
- +0.013
- Trend
- stable
- Data year
- 2023
- Gender Dev. Index (GDI)
- 1.009
- Gender Inequality Index (GII)
- 0.169
- Planetary-adjusted HDI (PHDI)
- 0.686
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (26)
- 🏛️
Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks
Inscribed 2023
- 🏛️
The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright
Inscribed 2019
- 🏛️
San Antonio Missions
Inscribed 2015
- 🏛️
Moravian Church Settlements
Inscribed 2015
- 🏛️
Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point
Inscribed 2014
- 🌍
Papahānaumokuākea
Inscribed 2010
- 🌿
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Inscribed 1995
- 🌿
Waterton Glacier International Peace Park
Inscribed 1995
- 🏛️
Taos Pueblo
Inscribed 1992
- 🏛️
Chaco Culture
Inscribed 1987
- 🌿
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Inscribed 1987
- 🏛️
Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville
Inscribed 1987
- 🌿
Yosemite National Park
Inscribed 1984
- 🏛️
Statue of Liberty
Inscribed 1984
- 🏛️
La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico
Inscribed 1983
- 🌿
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Inscribed 1983
- 🏛️
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
Inscribed 1982
- 🌿
Mammoth Cave National Park
Inscribed 1981
- 🌿
Olympic National Park
Inscribed 1981
- 🌿
Redwood National and State Parks
Inscribed 1980
- 🌿
Kluane / Wrangell-St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek
Inscribed 1979
- 🌿
Grand Canyon National Park
Inscribed 1979
- 🌿
Everglades National Park
Inscribed 1979
- 🏛️
Independence Hall
Inscribed 1979
- 🏛️
Mesa Verde National Park
Inscribed 1978
- 🌿
Yellowstone National Park
Inscribed 1978
Natural Beauty (World Bank)
- Protected land area
- 12.9%
- Forest cover
- 33.9%
Source: World Bank.
Wildlife & Birdwatching
- Threatened mammal species (IUCN)
- 43
- Threatened bird species (IUCN)
- 87
Source: World Bank / IUCN Red List. Higher counts indicate richer biodiversity, typically in tropical rainforest, island, and savannah ecosystems.
Food & Cuisine
61/100
Food and dining score
Built from two layers: dining-scene breadth and open prestige signals. We combine restaurant density, cuisine diversity, distinguished restaurants, and gastronomy-city recognitions from open data sources.
Winter Sports
79/100
Ski infrastructure & alpine pedigree
Combines ski resort depth, ski resort density, and Winter Olympic skiing results. Separate from climate comfort.
Luxury Infrastructure
100/100
Luxury & premium accommodation score
Based on OpenStreetMap luxury hotel density and World Bank international tourism receipts.
Data current as of May 2026 and subject to change. Travel advisory information is sourced from the U.S. State Department and reflects conditions at the time of data collection, not real-time conditions. Do not rely solely on this information for travel decisions. Always check current government advisories for your nationality. Terms of Use · About our data