The Best U.S. Cities for a Pub Crawl [2026 Data Study]

For many Americans, a great pub crawl comes down to the same essentials: good friends, lively crowds, and a lineup of bars you can actually get to without a hassle. But not every city makes it easy to pull off. The best destinations have bars close together, strong walkability or public transit, and prices that don’t turn a night out into a budget-buster.

To find the most pub crawl-friendly places to celebrate, we analyzed the 50 largest U.S. cities across 14 data factors tied to what makes a pub crawl work on St. Patrick’s Day. Specifically, we looked at a mix of “crawl logistics” and “crawl vibes.” That meant measuring how easy it is to bar-hop (bar density by area and population, walkability, transit access, and typical Uber costs), how strong the St. Patrick’s Day scene is (Irish pub presence, average pub ratings, local Irish heritage, and the number of spots with live music or late-night hours), and what alcohol is likely to cost (domestic and imported beer prices). 

We also included a few practical factors that can shape the experience, like March precipitation and city crime rates, to reflect how comfortable and convenient a pub crawl weekend is likely to be overall. Read on as we break down the 10 best U.S. cities for a pub crawl, plus the specific data points that pushed each city into the top.

10 Best U.S. Cities for a Pub Crawl

A great pub crawl is simple on paper. You want lots of bars close together, a strong Irish pub scene, and a city where getting from stop to stop does not require constant ride-hailing rides. Based on our analysis of the 50 largest U.S. cities across 14 weighted ranking factors, these cities came out on top for bar hopping this St. Patrick’s Day.

These are the 10 best U.S. cities for a pub crawl:

1. Boston, Massachusetts — Score: 71.6

Boston takes the No. 1 spot because it’s basically built for a pub crawl: dense, walkable, and distinctly Irish in a way that shows up in the numbers. The city packs 17.3 bars per square mile, which is about 233% higher than the study average (5.2 bars per square mile). That means you can string together a solid route without spending half the night in transit. 

It also overdelivers on the “pub” part of pub crawling, with 1.4 Irish pubs per 100,000 residents, plus one of the strongest cultural throughlines in the study: 20.5% of residents report Irish ancestry, which is about 114% higher than average (9.6%). And when you combine all that with a strong walkability score of 83 (out of 100), it’s easy to see why Boston earned the highest rank overall.

2. Providence, Rhode Island Score: 71.4

Providence is a pub crawl standout because it is compact and bar-heavy. With 19.4 bars per square mile, it comes in about 273% higher than the study average, which helps keep routes tight and walking-friendly.

It also has the strongest Irish pub scene in the study at 1.8 Irish pubs per 100,000 residents. Quality is a plus, too. Providence pubs average 4.49 stars, above the study’s average (4.43). Safety trends in the right direction as well, with a crime rate of 22.5 crimes per 1,000 residents; that’s about 53% lower than the average (48.2).

3. Hartford, Connecticut — Score: 64.4

Hartford ranks high thanks to a strong mix of crawlability and built-in entertainment. It has 12.4 bars per square mile, about 138% higher than the average, and 1.2 Irish pubs per 100,000 residents, roughly double the study average.

Hartford’s biggest differentiator is live music. The city has 2.4 pubs with live music per 100,000 residents, which is the most in the study. Its crime rate of 32.8 also comes in about 32% lower than average, which helps reinforce its placement in the top 10. 

4. Buffalo, New York — Score: 61.2

Buffalo is a strong pick if you want a crawl that can go late without getting overly expensive. It has 0.9 Irish pubs per 100,000 people, about 50% higher than the average, and it excels in late-night bar options, with 1.7 pubs open late-night per 100,000.

Affordability also helps. An imported beer averages $6, about 12% cheaper than the study average ($6.84). Buffalo’s walkability score of 67 is about 24% higher than average, making it easier to keep the crawl moving on foot.

5. Milwaukee, Wisconsin — Score: 61

Milwaukee’s advantage is sheer choice. With 38.9 bars per 100,000 residents (the highest in the study), you’ve got no shortage of options, whether you’re aiming for a low-key crawl or a full-on night out.

It also scores well on the St. Patrick’s Day tie-in with 1.3 Irish pubs per 100,000, about 117% higher than average. Drink prices remain reasonable for partygoers, with imported beers averaging $6 and domestic beers averaging $4.75. Milwaukee’s crime rate of 42.5 is about 12% lower than average, rounding out a very crawl-friendly profile.

6. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — Score: 60.9

Pittsburgh combines a dense bar scene with strong Irish roots and budget-friendly drink prices. It packs 12.3 bars per square mile (about 137% above the study average), so you can string together stops without turning the night into a ride-hailing marathon. And with 17.1% of residents reporting Irish ancestry (third-highest in the study), it’s also a city where the “pub” part of a pub crawl feels more like a local tradition than a gimmick.

It is also one of the best-value cities in the top 10 for a classic night-out staple. A domestic beer averages $4, about 28% cheaper than the study average ($5.59). And while no nightlife city is risk-free, Pittsburgh’s crime rate (38.2) sits about 21% below the study average.

7. Chicago, Illinois — Score: 59.9

Chicago earns its spot by making it easier to stitch together multiple stops using walking, transit, and the occasional ride-hailing ride. The city has 0.8 Irish pubs per 100,000, about 33% higher than the average, and a strong walkability score of 77 (out of 100).

Transit is another big advantage. Chicago’s public transit score is 65, about 51% higher than the study average (43). When you do need a ride, the average one-way UberX cost is below $20 ($19.15).

8. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — Score: 59.8

Philadelphia performs well on the cultural and practical sides of a St. Patrick’s Day crawl. It has 1 Irish pub per 100,000, about 67% higher than average, and 17.6% Irish ancestry, the second highest in the study after Boston. In other words, you’re not just finding Irish-themed stops, you’re tapping into a city with real Irish roots.

Logistics are a plus, too. Philly’s walkability score of 75 and public transit score of 67 make it easier to build a route that doesn’t depend on ride-hailing, especially when crowds and surge pricing hit.

9. Baltimore, Maryland — Score: 59.1

Baltimore stands out for its availability of Irish pubs and strong pub quality. The city has 1.2 Irish pubs per 100,000, roughly double the study average, and an average pub rating of 4.51 stars, the second-highest in the study.

Getting around is also easier than in many cities. Baltimore posts a walkability score of 64 (about 19% higher than average) and a public transit score of 53 (about 23% higher than average).

10. Cincinnati, Ohio — Score: 54.2

Cincinnati rounds out the top 10 with a value-friendly mix of solid pub quality and lower drink prices. It has 0.7 Irish pubs per 100,000 people, about 17% higher than the average, and a 4.47-star average pub rating.

Costs are where Cincinnati really helps your budget. An imported beer averages $6, and a domestic beer averages $4.75. For crawlers who want a fun night out without major sticker shock, Cincinnati is an easy pick.

Field Guide to America’s Best Pub Crawl Cities

Want to see how your city stacks up or build your own perfect crawl based on what matters most to you? The interactive table below includes the full dataset for all 50 cities we analyzed, along with each city’s overall score and the underlying factors that shaped it.

Use it to:

• Compare destinations side by side when planning a St. Patrick’s Day weekend trip.
• Search for your city by name.
• Sort by overall score to see the full ranking.
• Sort by individual factors (like walk score, Irish pubs per 100,000 residents, or beer prices) to find cities that excel in specific areas.

Regional Insights: Where Pub Crawl Culture Clusters

One pattern stands out quickly once you scan the top of the rankings. The top 10 skews heavily toward the Northeast and Midwest, with a strong showing from New England and the Great Lakes and Middle Atlantic corridor. Cities like Boston, Providence, Hartford, and Buffalo rise because they combine dense bar scenes with strong St. Patrick’s Day fit, while places like Chicago and Philadelphia add the kind of walkability and transit infrastructure that makes it easier to keep a crawl moving when streets get crowded.

Honorable Mentions: Top 15 Cities Worth a Closer Look

The table also highlights a few big-name nightlife destinations that did not crack the top 10 but still scored well overall. If you are deciding between cities or prioritizing one standout category, these are worth a closer look:

• New Orleans, Louisiana (No. 11, Score: 54.11)
  New Orleans finishes just outside the top 10. It is one of the most recognizable nightlife cities in the U.S., and its ranking suggests it still checks enough crawl-friendly boxes to compete with denser Northeast and Midwest contenders. Part of that is sheer choice: New Orleans has 34.9 bars per 100,000 residents, the fourth-highest bar density in the study, which gives you plenty of options for building a route that matches the vibe you’re after.
• San Francisco, California (No. 14, Score: 49.80)
  San Francisco shows up as a category standout even without a top-10 overall score. It ranks among the strongest cities for walkability (89) and also lands in the top for bars per square mile (12.85). If your ideal crawl is foot-first and neighborhood-based, it is a city to watch.
• New York, New York (No. 15, Score: 48.93)
  New York City rounds out the top 15 and stands out for pure walkability, with a walk score of 88. It can be excellent if you want a crawl where the next stop is almost always a short walk away, even if the overall score reflects trade-offs across the full set of factors. It also has a solid Irish pub scene, with 0.8 Irish pubs per 100,000 residents — about 33% higher than the study average.

Methodology

To identify the best U.S. cities for pub crawls, we evaluated the 50 largest U.S. cities on 14 different criteria related to successful bar and pub hopping on St. Patrick’s Day.

The factors were weighted based on their importance to a pub crawl. Based on these weights, the individual factors were assigned scores of zero to 5, then combined to yield a total score of zero to 100, with 100 representing the most favorable conditions for a pub crawl.

The ranking factors, their respective weights, and sources are listed below.

Other methodology notes:

• Walk score is a measure of pedestrian-friendliness. Higher walkability generally makes pub-hopping easier, especially in busy nightlife areas. 
• Public transit score measures how well an area is set up for public transit. Stronger transit can make it easier to connect neighborhoods or reduce reliance on ride-hailing.
• Crime rate data includes both violent crime and property crime. 
• The number of precipitation days in March includes rain, snow, and sleet. Fewer precipitation days typically make walking between stops easier and bar hopping more comfortable overall.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for an easy, high-energy St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl, the top-ranked cities — Boston, Providence, and Hartford — set the pace. They combine dense bar clusters, a strong Irish pub footprint, and live music at late-night venues that keep the evening feeling festive. Another clear theme across the top 10 leaders: The best crawls happen where you can walk or hop on transit between neighborhoods without racking up ride-hailing costs and where overall affordability doesn’t fall apart after the first couple of stops.

At Upgraded Points, we’re all about helping travelers get more value out of a weekend away, whether that’s stretching points and miles further, cutting the hidden costs (like transportation and alcohol), or choosing destinations where your budget goes further. Use the dataset above to pick a city that fits your pub crawl style.

Fair Use
You are welcome to use, reference, and share noncommercial excerpts of this study with proper attribution. If you cite or cover our findings, please link back to this page so readers can view the full methodology, charts, and context.