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The Biggest St. Patrick’s Day Parades in America

The Biggest St. Patrick’s Day Parades in America

Time was when St. Patrick’s Day parades held in U.S. cities were events in which Americans of Irish ancestry flexed their Celtic pride and celebrated their place in the American experience. 

That still happens, though today, the annual marches have become a more inclusive rite of spring, like the return of baseball and the blooming of early spring flowers, and a celebration by those who are Irish at least once a year. (Here are Irish foods explained, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.)

To find the US cities with the biggest St. Patrick’s Day parades, 24/7 Tempo consulted parade organizations in cities that typically have a significant Irish-American population, various travel sites, media sources, and other lists. We limited our list to parades that claim to attract at least 50,000 spectators for the annual event.

The Florida city of St. Augustine, the oldest city in North America, claims to have hosted the continent’s first St. Patrick’s Day parade, which stepped off in 1601. New York City, which holds the world’s largest parade, with two million spectators, first marched in 1762. In all, 11 cities on our list can trace the origins of their parades from the early and mid-19th century, when Irish immigrants fled their ancestral homeland to escape religious persecution and famine.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one in 10 Americans – 31.5 million of us – claim Irish heritage, a number exceeded only by those of German origin. The New England states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine have the highest percentage of those with Irish ancestry. By raw number, though, the states with the most Irish-Americans are the nation’s most populous: California, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Texas. 

Cook County in Illinois has the most residents claiming Irish descent, so it’s not surprising that that county’s largest city, Chicago, hosts the country’s second-biggest parade, and dyes the Chicago River green on St. Patrick’s Day. (These are the 35 most Irish cities in America.)

Source: jerome1976 / Flickr

25. Cincinnati, Ohio
> Est. attendance every year: 50,000
> First parade held in: 1967

Source: infomatique / Flickr

24. Charlotte, North Carolina
> Est. attendance every year: 50,000-80,000
> First parade held in: 1996

Source: Courtesy Detroit St. Patrick's Parade via Facebook

23. Detroit, Michigan
> Est. attendance every year: 80,000-100,000
> First parade held in: 1958

Source: Courtesy Buffalo St. Patrick's Day Parade via Facebook

22. Buffalo, New York
> Est. attendance every year: 100,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1811

Source: cpthornton / Flickr

21. Cleveland, Ohio
> Est. attendance every year: 100,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1842

Source: Courtesy Irish Channel St. Patrick's Day Parade via Facebook

20. New Orleans, Louisiana
> Est. attendance every year: 100,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1947

Source: perspective / Flickr

19. Baltimore, Maryland
> Est. attendance every year: 100,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1961

Source: Courtesy of The San Antonio River Walk via Facebook

18. San Antonio, Texas
> Est. attendance every year: 100,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1968

Source: Courtesy of St. Patrick's Day Parade of Washington, D.C. via Facebook

17. Washington, D.C.
> Est. attendance every year: 100,000 (tie
> First parade held in: 1971

Source: Courtesy of Irish Heritage Club of Seattle via Facebook

16. Seattle, Washington
> Est. attendance every year: 100,000 tie)
> First parade held in: 1972

Source: chrishunkeler / Flickr

15. San Francisco
> Est. attendance every year: 105,000
> First parade held in: 1851

Source: Courtesy of The Official Dallas St. Patrick's Parade via Facebook

14. Dallas, Texas
> Est. attendance every year: 120,000
> First parade held in: 1979

Source: Courtesy of Scranton St Patrick Parade via Facebook

13. Scranton, Pennsylvania
> Est. attendance every year: 150,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1962

Source: Courtesy of Wearin' of the Green Parade via Facebook

12. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
> Est. attendance every year: 150,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1986

Source: Courtesy of Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade via Facebook

11. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
> Est. attendance every year: 200,000
> First parade held in: 1870

Source: Courtesy of Kansas City St. Patrick's Day Parade via Facebook

10. Kansas City, Missouri
> Est. attendance every year: 200,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1873; resumed in 1973

Source: JRLPhotographer / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

9. Denver, Colorado
> Est. attendance every year: 200,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1889

Source: Courtesy of 1960 Parade via Facebook

8. Houston, Texas
> Est. attendance every year: 200,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1961

Source: fivetilnoon / Flickr

7. St. Louis, Missouri
> Est. attendance every year: 250,000
> First parade held in: 1969

Source: Courtesy of Holyoke St. Patricks's Parade via Facebook

6. Holyoke, Massachusetts
> Est. attendance every year: 300,000-400,000
> First parade held in: 1952

Source: Courtesy of Savannah, GA Saint Patrick's Day via Facebook

5. Savannah, Georgia
> Est. attendance every year: 400,000
> First parade held in: 1824

Source: Bastiaan Slabbers / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

4. Philadelphia
> Est. attendance every year: 500,000
> First parade held in: 1771

Source: Scott Eisen / Getty Images

3. Boston
> Est. attendance every year: 600,000-1 million
> First parade held in: 1862

Source: Tzido / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

2. Chicago
> Est. attendance every year: 1 million
> First parade held in: 1858

Source: Stephanie Keith / Getty Images

1. New York City
> Est. attendance every year: 2 million
> First parade held in: 1762

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