Is This City the Friendliest in the United States?

Traveling can come with a ton of unpredictability and questions: Will your flight be delayed? Does the actual hotel look like the photos in the review? But one thing most people want to bank on is a great experience in the city or town when they finally land. Basically, will the people be cool and make you want to come back?

According to Expedia's list of the top 20 friendliest cities in America, Whitefish, Montana, guarantees that and more. The travel site's ranking also includes popular ski hub Aspen, Colorado, ranked 20th, to the quaint town of Easton, Maryland (4th), or the creative hub of Provincetown, Massachusetts (10th).

And some of these friendly cities are known for some interesting stats: Ever wanted to visit the hummingbird capital of the U.S.? Well then, apparently it’s quite friendly there, too, with Sierra Vista, Arizona, coming in at number six on the list. History buffs or fans of the historic wild west might want to venture to Deadwood, South Dakota, which ranked 18th. The entire town is designated a National Historic Landmark due to its role in the gold rush of the late 1800s.

In line with Expedia’s previous travel predictions, most of the cities ranked are slightly off the beaten path, as more and more Americans seek out less crowded beachside destinations and outdoor activities that make social distancing a bit easier. 

But even though small and quaint seems to be the way to go to find a friendly face, one major city that’s previously been voted unfriendly actually made Expedia’s list—yup, the Big Apple (Manhattan) clocked in at number 14.  

Wondering how a city’s friendliness can even be determined? Expedia’s list was decided by the percentage of reviews between January 2019 and December 2020 that had the top percentage of reviews that mention worlds like amiable, friendly, or friendliest. 

The complete list of the 20 friendliest cities can be found here.