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.)
25. Cincinnati, Ohio
> Est. attendance every year: 50,000
> First parade held in: 1967
24. Charlotte, North Carolina
> Est. attendance every year: 50,000-80,000
> First parade held in: 1996
23. Detroit, Michigan
> Est. attendance every year: 80,000-100,000
> First parade held in: 1958
22. Buffalo, New York
> Est. attendance every year: 100,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1811
21. Cleveland, Ohio
> Est. attendance every year: 100,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1842
20. New Orleans, Louisiana
> Est. attendance every year: 100,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1947
19. Baltimore, Maryland
> Est. attendance every year: 100,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1961
18. San Antonio, Texas
> Est. attendance every year: 100,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1968
17. Washington, D.C.
> Est. attendance every year: 100,000 (tie
> First parade held in: 1971
16. Seattle, Washington
> Est. attendance every year: 100,000 tie)
> First parade held in: 1972
15. San Francisco
> Est. attendance every year: 105,000
> First parade held in: 1851
14. Dallas, Texas
> Est. attendance every year: 120,000
> First parade held in: 1979
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13. Scranton, Pennsylvania
> Est. attendance every year: 150,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1962
12. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
> Est. attendance every year: 150,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1986
11. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
> Est. attendance every year: 200,000
> First parade held in: 1870
10. Kansas City, Missouri
> Est. attendance every year: 200,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1873; resumed in 1973
9. Denver, Colorado
> Est. attendance every year: 200,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1889
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8. Houston, Texas
> Est. attendance every year: 200,000 (tie)
> First parade held in: 1961
7. St. Louis, Missouri
> Est. attendance every year: 250,000
> First parade held in: 1969
6. Holyoke, Massachusetts
> Est. attendance every year: 300,000-400,000
> First parade held in: 1952
5. Savannah, Georgia
> Est. attendance every year: 400,000
> First parade held in: 1824
4. Philadelphia
> Est. attendance every year: 500,000
> First parade held in: 1771
3. Boston
> Est. attendance every year: 600,000-1 million
> First parade held in: 1862
2. Chicago
> Est. attendance every year: 1 million
> First parade held in: 1858
1. New York City
> Est. attendance every year: 2 million
> First parade held in: 1762
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