New Year's Eve

Chicago Ranks Among Top 10 U.S. Cities to Celebrate News Year's Eve In

A new ranking revealed the best cities to ring in 2023, with Chicago landing a spot on the high end

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

There's no need to worry if you're want to ring in the new year in style, but don't have plans.

There's plenty happening in Chicago, which according to a new ranking, is among the best cities to celebrate the new year.

Personal finance website WalletHub compared the 100 most populated cities in the country to curate its collection of places for "epic" New Year's Eve celebrations, placing the Windy City at No. 8.

The website's researchers based their findings on 29 metrics, which ranged from the legality of fireworks to the forecasted precipitation for Dec. 31. They also looked at three "key" dimensions: entertainment and food, costs, as well as safety and accessibility.

Chicago scored ninth in food and entertainment as a city with the most restaurants and nightlife per capita among the other places that were probed, according to the ranking.

On a scale of one to 100, with 100 representing the most favorable conditions for New Year's Eve revelers, Chicago scored an 84 in costs and a 56 in safety and accessibility.

Here's a look at the other cities that earned a spot on the ranking's top 10:

  • New York: 1st
  • Orlando: 2nd
  • Las Vegas: 3rd
  • San Francisco: 4th
  • Atlanta: 5th
  • Denver: 6th
  • Washington D.C.: 7th
  • Los Angeles: 9th
  • Seattle: 10th

The full ranking can be found here.

Looking to countdown to midnight with some Chicago excitement? NBC Chicago has you covered.

NBC Chicago will ring in the new year with a star-studded special, "A Very Chicago New Year," beginning at 11:08 p.m. on NBC Chicago.

The hour-long kick off to 2023 will include musical performances by Smashing Pumpkins legend and Chicago native Billy Corgan, rock band Everclear and Chicago blues artist Wayne Baker BrooksCorgan will perform hits from his very own Madame ZuZu’s Teashop in Highland Park.

Matthew Rodrigues and Cortney Hall from Chicago Today will return as hosts alongside NBC 5 News Today anchors Michelle Relerford and JC Navarrete. The program will give viewers a front row seat to the hottest parties across the city and suburbs, including Pizzeria PortofinoHard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in Gary and The Ivy in Wheaton.

The special will air on NBC 5 and on the NBC Chicago streaming channels on Peacock, Roku and Samsung TV, as well as on NBCChicago.com and the NBC Chicago app..

Contact Us