4 IL Cities Rank Among Nation's Best To Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

ILLINOIS — With St. Patrick's Day rapidly approaching Sunday, four Illinois cities could be added to your itinerary as they were named among the best places to celebrate the popular Irish holiday.

Personal-finance website WalletHub released on March 6 its Best Cities to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day, with Chicago peaking at No. 2 among the top 200.

Additionally, Naperville ranked No. 1 for highest percentage of Irish population, and Chicago ranked No. 2 for most Irish pubs and restaurants per capita.

The cities on the best list were scored out of 100 points based on their rankings in the following categories: St. Patrick's Day traditions, St. Patrick's Day weather, safety and accessibility and costs.

“St. Patrick’s Day celebrates the Irish, but it’s become a beloved cultural holiday for millions of Americans regardless of their ancestry," WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe said in a news release. "The best cities for St. Patrick’s Day combine rich traditions with tasty and affordable food, safe conditions to celebrate and good weather. Celebrating in one of these cities will increase your chances of having a memorable holiday, as long as you don’t overdo it.”

See how Illinois cities fared on the top 200 list:

• Chicago, rank No. 2, total score of 63.93
• Naperville, No. 11 total score of 59.84
• Rockford, No. 71, total score of 50.97
• Aurora, No. 145, total score of 43.4

According to WalletHub, Chicago "definitely had to be on the list considering its crazy tradition of dyeing an entire river green (don’t worry – it’s safe for the environment)."

The Windy City annually hosts the 12th-oldest St. Patrick's Day parade nationally, WalletHub reported.

"Plus, St. Patrick’s Day revelers in Chicago will benefit from the fact that the city has the third-most Irish pubs and third-most Irish restaurants per capita. Chicago residents also search Google for terms related to St. Patrick’s Day more than people in most other cities, so you can tell that they’re excited for the holiday," WalletHub reported.

St. Patrick's Day is traditionally observed on March 17 in recognition of the missionary Saint Patrick, the primary patron saint of Ireland who was born in Great Britain.

Those who celebrate the Irish holiday usually paint the town green, a color that "originated as a symbol of rebellious Irish nationalism," the History Channel said. A myth states that people who wear green become invisible to leprechauns while anyone caught not wearing green may be subject to the leprechaun's pinch.

Though modern-day St. Augustine, Florida, was home to the earliest recorded St. Patrick's parade in 1601, New York's parade is deemed the oldest and largest as it travels along over a mile up Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

>> See WalletHub's full report here.