Where Are the Streets Painted Green on St. Patrick's Day? Try These Cities
You won't have to pinch these city streets — they wear their green.
Published March 14 2025, 4:08 p.m. ET
When March rolls around and the weather starts promising a hint of warmth, it's time for an annual celebration that honors Irish heritage and international love for the Emerald Isle. We're talking about St. Patrick's Day, of course.
It may not be as commercialized as holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving, but St. Patrick's Day is a beloved tradition in its own right.
In order to celebrate in style, people often search for the nearest big city celebration. Did you know that there are cities where they paint the literal streets green? Forget painting the town red, we're here to down the shamrock and tip our Guinness to the greenest holiday of the year.
Here's what we know about where they paint the streets green on St. Patrick's Day, and how you can celebrate the holiday.
Where are the streets painted green on St. Patrick's Day? These cities have you covered.
When we call it the "greenest" holiday of the year, we don't mean eco-friendly.
Green, of course, is the traditional color to wear on St. Patrick's Day, with the goal being to honor the color oft associated with Ireland, known as the "Emerald Isle." Green represents the shamrock, and the Irish flag which sports green, white, and orange.
In Newport, R.I., the city runs a green stripe down the center of the city streets. It's not exactly a fully green street, but the contrast with the yellow lines is cheery and celebratory.
In Syracuse, N.Y., they do the same. With their own cheerful green stripe down the middle of the street, they have the perfect backdrop for the annual St. Patrick's Day parade which may feature floats, green hats, leprechaun costumes, and ample "pots of gold." Other things you might see include Irish dancers, the Irish flag, and imagery of rainbows and shamrocks.
But if you're looking for a properly green street, you may want to turn your eyes to Rolla, Mo., where Missouri S&T students paint the streets green.
Chicago dyes their river green every year and it's worth a look in person.
While they aren't the streets we may think of at first, rivers are a kind of street all their own. In Chicago, boats dump green dye in the river and it sports a striking green color for a few days. It's animal-safe, but not exactly eco-minded. Experts have worried that despite the fish-friendly vegetable dyes used, introducing a foreign contaminant may have long-term effects they don't understand yet.
Nonetheless, the city does the best it can to provide a safe product for local underwater residents.
According to USA Today, the city has been dyeing its central river green for more than 60 years, making it a beloved and time-honored tradition in the Windy City.
While pictures of the bright green river are striking, they really don't do it justice. It's one of those St. Patrick's Day events that is really worth the travel.
Give these St. Patrick's Day traditions a try, no matter where you celebrate from.
However, if those are too far away from you, never fear. Big cities all over the United States celebrate St. Patrick's Day. And even if you can't get out to a parade or city celebration, there are a few fun things you can try at home.
Guinness, of course, is an Irish tradition. The dark Irish beer is a staple in Irish pubs, and raising a glass to Irish heritage is considered traditional. Although it should be noted that not all Irish traditions center on drinking, there are more than a handful, including "downing the shamrock," where the bartender places an (edible) shamrock on the foam of your Guinness and you "down" it to ward off bad luck. And snakes.
There is, of course, the tradition of wearing green to celebrate. But there's also the option of wearing orange. It seems that the decision about which color to wear may depend on which religion you want to represent. Irish Catholics tend to sport the green, and Irish Protestants tend to choose the orange.
So choose your team wisely, but don't pinch anyone on the opposing team; pinching isn't nice.
While corned beef and cabbage aren't necessarily a tradition in Ireland itself, they have become an American tradition, so that's a good one to try out if you haven't before. Milk dyed green and chocolate gold coins are also fun to celebrate the more commercialized traditions of the holiday.
But most of all, the spirit of St. Patrick's Day is about faith, protection, and renewal. It's a timely celebration with the advent of spring and closing the chapter of winter behind.