Whether it’s a honeymoon, a milestone anniversary trip, or a well-deserved couple’s vacation, a visit to a romantic destination can offer many opportunities for intimacy and reconnection. Factors that might help make such a trip memorable – including romantic hotels, vibrant nightlife, and world-class restaurants – await in many of our nation’s largest cities.
To compile a list of the most romantic cities in America, 24/7 Tempo reviewed The Couple’s Vacation index by Travel Lens, a digital travel publication. The site used TripAdvisor to look at each of the 200 largest cities in the U.S. and assess their availability of romantic hotels and fine-dining restaurants, as well as nearby activities that were “good for couples.” Travel Lens also used Google Keyword Planner to find the total number of searches of “date ideas” for each city. Information is current as of Nov. 10, 2022.
Activities considered good for couples include visits to parks, historic sites, museums, and botanical gardens, as well as guided tours of historic districts, live entertainment, boat rides, and outdoor marketplaces. The top cities for couples activities were Honolulu, Las Vegas, and Minneapolis. The latter two cities tied for second place overall, largely due to their abundance of activities as well as their profusion of fine dining restaurants. (These are the best states for a night out.)
Click here to see the most romantic cities in America
New York City and Miami, however, topped the list of cities with the most high-end restaurants. In fact, New York scored best overall, in part because of its strong dining scene, with nearly 500 places that are considered fine dining establishments – some of them among the most expensive restaurants in America.
Another factor that helped the Big Apple dominate the list was its high search engine interest in date ideas. Known for its wealth of couples-friendly venues including Broadway, the Metropolitan Opera, and dozens of renowned museums, as well as helicopter and boat sightseeing tours, New York is a shoo-in for romantic getaways.
25. New Orleans, Louisiana
> Romantic city score: 3.98/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 1,440
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 31.89
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 7.84
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 5.63
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24. Phoenix, Arizona
> Romantic city score: 4.13/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 7,770
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 16.23
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 9.08
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 1.35
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23. Louisville, Kentucky
> Romantic city score: 4.29/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 2,180
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 27.33
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 12.91
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 2.66
22. Omaha, Nebraska
> Romantic city score: 4.75/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 2,680
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 24.12
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 14.90
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 3.55
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21. San Diego, California
> Romantic city score: 4.85/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 7,750
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 29.03
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 6.12
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 3.84
20. Austin, Texas
> Romantic city score: 4.95/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 5,970
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 21.88
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 9.80
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 4.12
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19. Albuquerque, New Mexico
> Romantic city score: 5.15/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 2,330
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 35.79
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 9.08
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 5.88
18. Baltimore, Maryland
> Romantic city score: 6.02/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 5,910
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 28.45
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 13.81
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 6.69
17. District of Columbia,
> Romantic city score: 6.53/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 4,590
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 102.26
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 7.34
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 20.90
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16. Tampa, Florida
> Romantic city score: 6.69/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 3,500
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 83.32
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 29.82
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 5.26
15. Orlando, Florida
> Romantic city score: 6.74/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 5,280
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 81.39
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 29.83
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 2.92
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14. Atlanta, Georgia
> Romantic city score: 6.79/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 7,290
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 32.29
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 24.65
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 4.53
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13. Nashville, Tennessee
> Romantic city score: 6.94/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 9,470
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 32.17
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 12.20
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 5.68
12. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
> Romantic city score: 7.25/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 7,620
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 33.79
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 23.71
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 6.27
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11. Denver, Colorado
> Romantic city score: 7.40/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 7,510
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 75.67
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 39.14
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 3.91
9. Boston, Massachusetts
> Romantic city score: 7.60/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 4,650
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 77.12
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 37.48
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 10.77
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9. Honolulu, Hawaii
> Romantic city score: 7.60/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 3,450
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 168.17
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 32.17
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 9.59
8. Seattle, Washington
> Romantic city score: 7.71/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 6,240
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 85.71
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 29.49
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 8.76
7. Chicago, Illinois
> Romantic city score: 7.76/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 13,080
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 39.68
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 23.54
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 8.23
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6. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
> Romantic city score: 7.86/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 9,180
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 64.46
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 22.87
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 13.52
5. Las Vegas, Nevada
> Romantic city score: 8.12/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 7,400
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 153.13
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 48.30
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 5.40
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4. Portland, Oregon
> Romantic city score: 8.73/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 12,060
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 121.42
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 29.98
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 12.74
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2. Miami, Florida
> Romantic city score: 9.13/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 6,060
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 121.59
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 71.98
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 43.33
2. Minneapolis, Minnesota
> Romantic city score: 9.13/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 20,100
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 142.59
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 57.41
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 11.11
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1. New York City, New York
> Romantic city score: 9.19/10
> Annual searches for date ideas: 26,300
> Couples activities per 100 sq. mi.: 93.65
> Fine dining restaurants per 100 sq. mi.: 63.41
> Romantic hotels per 100 sq. mi.: 15.82
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