World Guide

United States

Country · Americas, Northern America

Statue of Liberty
Pictured: Statue of Liberty · Photo: Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The United States is a country in Northern America with neighbours Canada and Mexico by land or sea. Its capital is Washington, D.C., and it spans 9,826,675 square kilometres with a population of about 342 million. It offers travellers a vast range of urban destinations, historic landmarks, and natural wonders.

Highlights

The site covers 120 sights, including major urban centres and landmarks. Key cities include New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Notable sights span natural and cultural points of interest, such as Yellowstone National Park (UNESCO), the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Central Park, the White House, the Golden Gate Bridge, Niagara Falls, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Food and drink

Local dishes and beverages include the hamburger, hot dog, peanut butter, marshmallow, muffin, martini, cupcake, bourbon whiskey, banana bread, cheeseburger, ice pop, and chicken nugget.

When to go

This climate overview applies to the capital, Washington, D.C. Winters run from December to February with daily highs of 6 °C to 8 °C and lows dropping below freezing down to -2 °C. Spring and autumn offer moderate temperatures with highs between 13 °C and 26 °C. Summers from June to August are hot, with daily highs reaching 29 °C to 31 °C and lows of 19 °C to 21 °C, alongside heavier rain reaching up to 16 rainy days in July.

Practical notes

The currency is the United States dollar. The official language is English. Plugs type A and B are used, operating on a voltage of 120.0 V. Driving is on the right side of the road. Time zones range from UTC−10:00 to UTC−05:00.

Cities

Food and drink to try in United States

  • Hamburger
  • Hot dog
  • Peanut butter
  • Marshmallow
  • Muffin
  • Martini
  • Cupcake
  • Bourbon whiskey
  • Banana bread
  • Cheeseburger
  • Ice pop
  • Chicken nugget

Top sights in United States

  1. Statue of LibertyStatue of LibertyNew York City
  2. Lake OntarioLake Ontario
  3. SoFi StadiumSoFi Stadium
  4. White HouseWashington, D.C.
  5. Neverland RanchNeverland RanchLos Olivos
  6. Empire State BuildingEmpire State BuildingNew York City
  7. One World Trade CenterOne World Trade CenterNew York City
  8. Great LakesGreat Lakes
  9. The PentagonThe PentagonArlington County
  10. Mount St. HelensMount St. Helens
  11. Yellowstone National ParkUNESCOYellowstone National Park
  12. Rock and Roll Hall of FameRock and Roll Hall of FameCleveland
  1. Golden Gate Bridge · San Francisco
  2. Niagara Falls
  3. Willis Tower · Chicago
  4. Silicon Valley · Mountain View
  5. Mount Whitney · Lone Pine
  6. Hollywood Walk of Fame
  7. Disneyland · Anaheim
  8. Central Park · New York City
  9. Rocky Mountains
  10. El Capitan
  11. Ozarks
  12. New York Stock Exchange · New York City
  13. Hoover Dam · Boulder City
  14. USS Constitution · Boston
  15. Brooklyn Bridge · New York City
  16. Fallingwater · OhiopyleUNESCO
  17. Chrysler Building · New York City
  18. United States Capitol · Washington, D.C.
  19. Washington Monument · Washington, D.C.
  20. Rose Bowl · La Cañada Flintridge
  21. Yosemite National ParkUNESCO
  22. Salton Sea
  23. Arlington National Cemetery · Arlington County
  24. Gateway Arch · St. Louis
  25. Times Square · New York City
  26. Metropolitan Museum of Art · New York City
  27. Graceland · Memphis
  28. Greenwich Village · New York City
  29. Devils Tower
  30. Mojave Desert
  31. Apple Park · Cupertino
  32. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum · Los Angeles
  33. Liberty Bell · Philadelphia
  34. Wall Street · New York City
  35. Northeastern United States
  36. Library of Congress · Washington, D.C.
  37. Ellis Island · New York City
  38. Kennedy Space Center · Merritt Island
  39. Flatiron Building · New York City
  40. Las Vegas Strip · Las Vegas
  41. Mount Vernon · Lorton
  42. Grand Central Terminal · New York City
  43. Hollywood Sign
  44. University of Virginia · CharlottesvilleUNESCO
  45. Grauman's Chinese Theatre
  46. Great Salt Lake
  47. Lake Erie
  48. Puget Sound
  49. Headquarters of the United Nations · New York City
  50. Pearl Harbor · Honolulu
  51. Tribeca · New York City
  52. Space Needle · Seattle
  53. Monument Valley
  54. Rockefeller Center · New York City
  55. Lincoln Memorial · Washington, D.C.
  56. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum · New York CityUNESCO
  57. Chesapeake Bay
  58. Googleplex · Mountain View
  59. Joshua Tree National Park
  60. Cascade Range
  61. SoHo, Manhattan · New York City
  62. Meteor Crater · Winslow
  63. Museum of Modern Art · New York City
  64. Fort Sumter · Charleston
  65. Monticello · CharlottesvilleUNESCO
  66. Mammoth Cave National ParkUNESCO
  67. Woolworth Building · New York City
  68. Dolby Theatre
  69. Washington National Cathedral · Washington, D.C.
  70. Jet Propulsion Laboratory · La Cañada Flintridge
  71. National Mall · Washington, D.C.
  72. Great Basin
  73. Zion National Park
  74. American Museum of Natural History · New York City
  75. 30 Rockefeller Plaza · New York City
  76. Acadia National Park
  77. Glacier National Park
  78. Grand Teton National Park
  79. Trump International Hotel and Tower · Chicago
  80. Independence Hall · PhiladelphiaUNESCO
  81. 40 Wall Street · New York City
  82. St. Patrick's Cathedral · New York City
  83. U.S. Bank Tower · Los Angeles
  84. Great Smoky Mountains National Park · Pigeon ForgeUNESCO
  85. Lake Okeechobee · Okeechobee
  86. Death Valley National Park
  87. Vietnam Veterans Memorial · Washington, D.C.
  88. Olympic National ParkUNESCO
  89. National Institutes of Health · Bethesda
  90. Bryce Canyon National Park
  91. Grand Canyon National ParkUNESCO
  92. Arches National Park
  93. National Air and Space Museum · Washington, D.C.
  94. National Gallery of Art · Washington, D.C.
  95. Mesa Verde National ParkUNESCO
  96. Art Institute of Chicago · Chicago
  97. Grand Coulee Dam · Grand Coulee
  98. Transamerica Pyramid · San Francisco
  99. Badlands National Park
  100. Big Bend National Park
  101. Thousand Islands
  102. Chinatown, Manhattan · New York City
  103. Mono Lake
  104. United States Geological Survey · Menlo Park
  105. Mount Baker
  106. Delmarva Peninsula
  107. Alamo Mission · San AntonioUNESCO
  108. Johnson Space Center · Kemah

UNESCO sites in United States →

Weather by month

The warmest month is July, with an average high of 31 °C. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high, °C681319242931302620148
Average low, °C-2-13813192121171050
Rainfall, mm747187911101031099288907182
Rainy days8109101313161510679

Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for Washington, D.C. (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.

Also worth a look

Neighbouring countries and territories