Chicago Among Top Places To Visit In 2021: U.S. News

CHICAGO, IL — Planning your next vacation? If so, you won’t need to travel far. U.S. News & World Report this week released its annual list of best vacation spots in the United States, and Chicago is among them.

The annual rankings, which highlight the world’s best places to visit, include several region-specific lists, including the best places to visit in the United States and the best small towns to visit in the United States.

Destinations are also ranked among several niche lists, such as best weekend getaways in the South, the best weekend getaways in the Midwest and the best mountain towns to visit in the United States.

Chicago ranked 20th on the overall list of best places to visit in the United States.

U.S. News cited "the Windy City's architecture, cuisine and museums" among the reasons it's a great travel spot for tourists with a variety of interests. "Be sure to stuff your face at least once, whether it be with a Chicago-style hot dog (sans ketchup), an Italian beef sandwich or a slice of deep-dish pizza. Then, snap some pictures in front of Millennium Park's iconic 'Bean' sculpture, check out the Art Institute of Chicago's top-notch collections or go on an architecture river cruise," U.S. News urged travelers.

The site also ranked Chicago as the No. 1 best weekend getaway in the Midwest and the No. 3 best foodie city in the country.

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To determine the annual rankings, U.S. News analyzed more than 1,100 destinations using a methodology that combines traveler opinion (collected through user votes) with expert and editor analyses.

Each destination is scored in 10 categories including sights, culture, food, nightlife, adventure and romance. The goal is to offer travelers a comprehensive evaluation of each destination.

Once again, the calming appeal of forests, canyons and mountain ranges helped several national parks land spots at the top of the list for best places to visit in the United States. Here are the top five:

1. Grand Canyon National Park
2. Yosemite National Park
3. Yellowstone National Park
4. Maui, Hawaii
5. Glacier National Park

New to this year’s rankings is the niche list highlighting the best mountain towns to visit in the United States. These towns “offer the best of both worlds to travelers looking to hike or bike while still enjoying the comforts of small-town life,” according to the rankings.

Topping the list of best mountain towns is Gatlinburg, Tennessee, followed by Bar Harbor, Maine, and Telluride, Colorado.

Other interesting lists include the best historical cities to visit in the United States. Here are the top five, listed in order according to ranking:

1. Washington, D.C.
2. Boston, Massachusetts
3. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5. Williamsburg, Virginia

If you’re hoping to get out of town for cheap, there’s a list for that, too. These are the top five cheap vacations in the United States:

1. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
2. Glacier National Park, Montana
3. Olympic National Park, Washington
4. St. Augustine, Florida
5. Sequoia National Park, California

Ready to make a vacation bucket list? Check out the full rankings for Best Vacations available on U.S. News’ website.