U.S. Major Cities Map

Explore the major cities and metropolitan areas of the United States. From the bustling streets of New York City to the tech hub of San Francisco, discover the urban centers that drive America's economy, culture, and innovation.

Cities Over 1 Million

10

Major metropolitan centers

Urban Population

83%

Americans living in urban areas

Largest City

8.3M

New York City population

Metro Areas 100K+

384

Metropolitan statistical areas

Top 50 U.S. Cities by Population

Based on 2023 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, these are the most populous cities in the United States (city proper, not metro area).

Rank City State Population
1 New York New York 8,336,817
2 Los Angeles California 3,898,747
3 Chicago Illinois 2,746,388
4 Houston Texas 2,304,580
5 Phoenix Arizona 1,608,139
6 Philadelphia Pennsylvania 1,603,797
7 San Antonio Texas 1,434,625
8 San Diego California 1,386,932
9 Dallas Texas 1,304,379
10 San Jose California 1,013,240
11 Austin Texas 961,855
12 Jacksonville Florida 949,611
13 Fort Worth Texas 918,915
14 Columbus Ohio 905,748
15 Charlotte North Carolina 874,579
16 San Francisco California 873,965
17 Indianapolis Indiana 867,125
18 Seattle Washington 749,256
19 Denver Colorado 711,463
20 Oklahoma City Oklahoma 687,725
21 Nashville Tennessee 670,820
22 Washington District of Columbia 670,050
23 Boston Massachusetts 650,706
24 El Paso Texas 678,815
25 Las Vegas Nevada 641,903
26 Portland Oregon 635,067
27 Detroit Michigan 639,111
28 Memphis Tennessee 633,104
29 Louisville Kentucky 617,638
30 Baltimore Maryland 585,708
31 Milwaukee Wisconsin 577,222
32 Albuquerque New Mexico 564,559
33 Tucson Arizona 542,629
34 Fresno California 542,107
35 Mesa Arizona 504,258
36 Sacramento California 524,943
37 Atlanta Georgia 496,461
38 Kansas City Missouri 508,090
39 Colorado Springs Colorado 478,961
40 Raleigh North Carolina 467,665
41 Omaha Nebraska 486,051
42 Miami Florida 449,514
43 Long Beach California 466,742
44 Virginia Beach Virginia 450,224
45 Oakland California 430,666
46 Minneapolis Minnesota 425,336
47 Tulsa Oklahoma 413,066
48 Tampa Florida 398,173
49 Arlington Texas 394,266
50 New Orleans Louisiana 383,997

Largest Metropolitan Areas

Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) include the city proper plus surrounding suburbs and communities. These are the 20 largest metro areas by population:

Rank Metro Area Population
1 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 19,768,458
2 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 13,200,998
3 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 9,618,502
4 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 7,637,387
5 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 7,122,240
6 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 6,385,162
7 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 6,245,051
8 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 6,138,333
9 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 6,089,815
10 Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 4,845,832
11 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 4,941,632
12 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA 4,623,264
13 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 4,599,839
14 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 4,365,205
15 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 4,018,762
16 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 3,690,261
17 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 3,298,634
18 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 3,175,275
19 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 2,963,821
20 St. Louis, MO-IL 2,820,253
Metro vs. City: The New York metro area is nearly 20 million people, while New York City proper is about 8.3 million. Metro areas better represent the true economic and population centers of urban regions.

Cities by Region

Northeast Cities

The Northeast Corridor is the most densely populated urban region in the U.S., stretching from Boston to Washington D.C.

  • New York, NY: Financial capital, cultural center, most populous city
  • Philadelphia, PA: Historic city, major port, birthplace of American democracy
  • Boston, MA: Education and innovation hub, oldest major U.S. city
  • Washington, D.C.: Nation's capital, center of federal government
  • Baltimore, MD: Major seaport, historic industrial city

Southeast Cities

The Sunbelt region has experienced rapid growth, with cities like Charlotte and Atlanta emerging as major business centers.

  • Jacksonville, FL: Largest city by area in contiguous U.S.
  • Charlotte, NC: Major banking center, second-largest financial hub
  • Atlanta, GA: Transportation hub, business capital of the South
  • Miami, FL: Gateway to Latin America, cruise capital
  • Memphis, TN: Music heritage, major distribution center

Midwest Cities

Traditional manufacturing and industrial centers, with Chicago standing as the region's dominant metropolis.

  • Chicago, IL: Third-largest city, transportation and business hub
  • Columbus, OH: State capital, education and research center
  • Indianapolis, IN: Crossroads of America, motorsports capital
  • Detroit, MI: Motor City, automotive industry center
  • Milwaukee, WI: Brewing heritage, manufacturing center

Southwest Cities

Fast-growing cities in Texas and Arizona dominate this region, benefiting from favorable business climates and warm weather.

  • Houston, TX: Energy capital, space center, major port
  • Phoenix, AZ: Fifth-largest city, rapid population growth
  • San Antonio, TX: Military center, tourism and culture
  • Dallas, TX: Business and finance hub, telecommunications center
  • Austin, TX: Tech hub, state capital, music scene

West Coast Cities

Technology, entertainment, and trade define the Pacific Coast's major urban centers.

  • Los Angeles, CA: Entertainment capital, second-largest city
  • San Diego, CA: Major naval base, biotech center
  • San Jose, CA: Heart of Silicon Valley, tech capital
  • San Francisco, CA: Financial and tech hub, cultural icon
  • Seattle, WA: Tech center, major port, coffee culture

Fastest Growing Cities

These cities have experienced the highest percentage growth in recent years, reflecting migration patterns and economic development:

Population Boom Cities (2020-2023)

  1. Georgetown, TX: 14.4% growth (Austin suburb)
  2. Leander, TX: 12.1% growth (Austin suburb)
  3. Queen Creek, AZ: 11.9% growth (Phoenix suburb)
  4. Fort Myers, FL: 10.5% growth
  5. Apex, NC: 9.8% growth (Raleigh suburb)

Fastest Growing Major Cities

Sunbelt Migration: Southern and southwestern cities continue to grow rapidly as people migrate from colder, more expensive regions seeking jobs, lower taxes, and better weather.

Cities by State

States with Most Large Cities (100,000+ population)

State Capitals vs. Largest Cities

In many states, the capital is not the largest city:

Urban Trends and Demographics

Urbanization in America

The United States has become increasingly urbanized over the past century:

Megacities and Megaregions

The concept of megaregions represents interconnected metropolitan areas forming economic and cultural corridors:

Northeast Megaregion (BosWash):

Great Lakes Megaregion:

Southern California Megaregion:

Economic Specialization

Major cities often specialize in particular industries:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the largest city in the United States?

New York City is the largest city by population with about 8.3 million people in the city proper and nearly 20 million in the metropolitan area. It's also the most densely populated major city in the U.S.

Which U.S. city has the largest land area?

Sitka, Alaska has the largest land area of any U.S. city at 2,870 square miles. Among cities in the contiguous 48 states, Jacksonville, Florida is the largest at 747 square miles.

What is the fastest growing city in America?

Georgetown, Texas (near Austin) has been the fastest growing city in recent years, with population growth exceeding 14% between 2020-2023. Among major cities, Phoenix has seen the largest absolute population increase.

Which state has the most cities over 100,000 population?

California has 73 cities with populations over 100,000, more than any other state. Texas is second with 38 cities, and Florida is third with 22 cities.

What is a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)?

An MSA is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. It typically consists of a city and its surrounding suburbs and communities that are socially and economically integrated.