From the Golden Gate Bridge in California to the Empire State Building in New York, each US state is well known for a number of famous tourist attractions, but which attractions are the most loved in each state? And which are the most popular in the US overall?
To find out, we’ve analyzed over 1,000 attractions across the US on their annual Google searches and Tripadvisor review scores, to reveal the most popular and the highest-rated in each US state and overall.
Why not find your next holiday destination by considering the USA’s most popular attractions. Whether you’re flying and parking at New York LaGuardia Airport, Chicago O’Hare, or even from abroad, consider adding some of these attractions to your bucket list.
The most popular tourist attractions in the USA
1. Grand Canyon: US Popularity rating – 8.22/10
Annual Google Searches – 14,380,000
Tripadvisor Review Score – 5/5
Instagram Hashtags – 4,151,689
TikTok Views (Millions) – 317.7
The Grand Canyon, located in the state of Arizona, earns the top spot as America’s most popular tourist attraction overall. The geological phenomenon has received well over 14 million searches in the last year, as well as a perfect 5/5 Tripadvisor rating. The Grand Canyon earns an impressive 8.22/10 US popularity score, making it a must-see attraction for tourists visiting the US.
Carved by the Colorado River around 5 to 6 million years ago, the Grand Canyon is a 277 miles long and 18 miles wide steep-sided canyon in Arizona. The Grand Canyon attains a depth of over a mile, exposing nearly two billion years of Earth’s geological history. This attraction is a must-see for any nature enthusiast and sightseer alike.
2. Times Square: US Popularity rating – 7.2/10
Annual Google Searches – 10,342,000
Tripadvisor Review Score – 4.5/5
Instagram Hashtags – 4,765,703
TikTok Views (Millions) – 1,800
New York’s Grand Times Square earns the runner-up spot on this list with over 10 million annual Google searches, 4.7 million hashtags on Instagram, and a whopping 1.8 billion views on TikTok. Times Square earns an overall popularity rating of 7.2/10.
Also known as “the Crossroads of the World”, Manhattan’s Times Square is a major commercial intersection. Around 330,000 people, many of whom are tourists, pass through Times Square every day. On its busiest days, over 460,000 pedestrians can walk through the Square.
3. Niagara Falls: US Popularity rating – 7.14/10
Annual Google Searches – 15,053,000
Tripadvisor Review Score – 4.5/5
Instagram Hashtags – 3,434,379
TikTok Views (Millions) – 623.5
The third most popular attraction in the US is Niagara Falls, New York, which saw over 15 million Google searches over the last year alongside 3.4 million Instagram hashtags and 620 million TikTok views. Niagara Falls earns a 7.14/10 popularity rating.
The world-renowned Niagara Falls is a combination of three waterfalls which line the border between New York State and Canada. The falls have an impressive vertical drop of more than 50m and Horseshoe Falls, the largest of the three falls, is the most powerful waterfall in North America measured by flow rate.
4. Glacier National Park: US Popularity rating – 7.04/10
Annual Google Searches – 6,357,000
Tripadvisor Review Score – 5/5
Instagram Hashtags – 973,833
TikTok Views (Millions) – 263.8
Glacier National Park ranks as the third most popular attraction in the US. The National Park, situated in Montana, saw over 6 million Google searches over the last 12 months and also earned a 5/5 Tripadvisor review score.
Aptly named, Glacier National Park is filled with glacier-carved peaks and valleys running through Montana’s Rocky Mountains along the Canadian border. A haven for walkers and backpackers, Glacier National Park offers 700 miles of hiking trails and endless photography opportunities.
If you’re visiting by road how about taking the Going-to-the-Sun Road – one of the most scenic drives in the United States – which snakes a 50-mile path through the National Park.
5. Yellowstone National Park: US Popularity rating – 6.99/10
Annual Google Searches – 10,204,000
Tripadvisor Review Score – 5/5
Instagram Hashtags – 1,134,121
TikTok Views (Millions) – 114.9
Runner-up for America’s most popular attraction is Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone National Park earns a respectable 5/5 on Tripadvisor and received over 10 million searches on Google over the last year.
The National Park covers 2.2 million acres across Wyoming. A volcanic hot spot, Yellowstone contains about half of the world’s active geysers, including the most famous, Old Faithful.
The most popular tourist attractions in each US state
The following tables reveal each state’s most popular tourist attraction, in alphabetical order, with their relative popularity score.
Take a look at our guide to the USA’s most naturally beautiful states and discover more about this wonderful country.
Methodology
In total, this study analyzed 1,133 attractions across each of the 50 US states. The initial list of attractions in each state was taken from Attractions of America. Each attraction was then analyzed with reference to the number of Google searches it received in the last year using Google Keywords Planner.
The Tripadvisor rating for each of the top three attractions in each state was then taken. From this, a combined score was calculated for 150 of the biggest attractions in the US, and the top attraction for each state was identified and recorded.
To further analyse the most popular attractions in the US overall, Instagram hashtags and the volume of TikTok views were recorded for the 50 most loved US attractions.
