These IL Cities Among Best To Celebrate St. Patrick's Day In 2026: Ranking

Two Illinois cities landed on WalletHub's 2026 roundup of the Best Cities for St. Patrick's Day Celebrations. Among the 30 top cities were Chicago and Naperville, but neither landed in the number one spot this year.

Chicago came in at #11 and Naperville came in at #28. The top spot went to Boston.

The cities were ranked on factors that included St. Patrick's Day traditions, costs, safety and accessibility and weather. Considerations included St. Patrick's Day parades, Irish pubs and restaurants per capita, share of Irish population, average beer price, walkability, crime rates and forecasted weather.

Naperville did snag the top ranking as the city with the highest share of Irish population.

Below is the full list of WalletHub's top 30 cities for celebrating St. Patrick's Day:

1. Boston, Massachusetts
2. Reno, Nevada
3. Savannah, Georgia
4. Overland Park, Kansas
5. Henderson, Nevada
6. Omaha, Nebraska
7. New York, New York
8. St. Paul, Minnesota
9. Worcester, Massachusetts
10. Buffalo, New York
11. Chicago, Illinois
12. Madison, Wisconsin
13. Las Vegas, Nevada
14. San Francisco, California
15. Santa Rosa, California
16. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
17. Springfield, Missouri
18. Providence, Rhode Island
19. Amarillo, Texas
20. Minneapolis, Minnesota
21. Seattle, Washington
22. Des Moines, Iowa
23. Thousand Oaks, California
24. Olathe, Kansas
25. Tampa, Florida
26. Richmond, Virginia
27. Syracuse, New York
28. Naperville, Illinois
29. Columbia, South Carolina
30. Fort Collins, Colorado

For St. Patrick's Day traditions, Chicago ranked fifth and Naperville ranked 17th.

Each year, Chicago dumps as many as 100 pounds of green dye into the Chicago River, a beloved tradition since 1962. Chicago's South Side Irish Parade is another annual tradition that brings thousands of green-clad Irish and honorary Irish out.

In Naperville, the West Suburban St. Patrick's Day Parade draws in crowds from surrounding suburbs and beyond. West Suburban Irish also organizes Irish session music, trivia and other events in honor of the holiday.

Click the link to learn more about WalletHub's 2026 Best Cities for St. Patrick's Day Celebrations.

Related:

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