Believe it or not, the first ever St. Patrick’s Day parade didn’t take place in Ireland. Its roots are actually in the U.S., though some say Boston while others claim New York. Regardless, what began as a Catholic feast day and gained more recognition with a parade in the 18th Century is today one of America’s biggest cultural holidays. More than 31 million people in the U.S. claim Irish ancestry – that’s more than six times the population of Ireland. As this lucky group of people expanded over the centuries, so too did American St. Paddy’s Day traditions. Chicago, for instance, gained fame for dyeing its river green, while other places are now known for their elaborate pageants, pub crawls or long processions of marching bagpipers. This year, Americans are projected to spend $5.87 billion on the holiday.

To determine the best cities for celebrating Irish-American heritage, WalletHub compared 200 of the largest U.S. cities across 18 key metrics, ranging from Irish pubs and restaurants per capita to the lowest price for a three-star hotel on St. Patrick’s Day to the weather forecast.

Top 20 Cities for St. Patrick’s Day
1.	Philadelphia, PA	11.	New York, NY
2.	Boston, MA	12.	Worcester, MA
3.	Pittsburgh, PA	13.	Cleveland, OH
4.	Chicago, IL	14.	Henderson, NV
5.	San Francisco, CA	15.	Cedar Rapids, IA
6.	Reno, NV	16.	Cincinnati, OH
7.	Naperville, IL	17.	Milwaukee, WI
8.	Tampa, FL	18.	Boise, ID
9.	Yonkers, NY	19.	Orlando, FL
10.	Buffalo, NY	20.	Columbus, OH

St. Patrick’s Day Facts

• 174%: Increase in beer sales on St. Patrick’s Day compared to the rest of the year (153% more spirits are sold compared with the average day).


• $1.92 Million: Market value of a leprechaun’s pot of gold.


• $5.87 Billion: Amount spent collectively on St. Patrick’s Day 2022 ($42 per person celebrating).


• 31.5 Million: Number of Americans who claim Irish ancestry, second only to German and 6.5 times Ireland's population.