It’s that time of the year when we get to do what we do best: celebrate our nation’s independence. If you’re still on the fence about where to see the fireworks this year or if you’re looking to renew your patriotism, look no further. We have put together the ultimate list of cities where to celebrate this year’s Independence Day.
The CheckMyBus Fourth of July Epicness Index
We set out to find out which cities offered the best mix of patriotism, celebrations and affordability. To do that we considered a group of factors, from each city’s historic significance to a bus tickets price index for all trips happening on July 4th (average price per mile).
The result? An interesting mix of cities that bring together the best of our nation’s holiday with a few surprises in between.
Without further ado, here are America’s best Fourth of July celebrations!
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Download the infographic here.
America’s Most Epic 4th of July Celebrations
1. Washington D.C.
Flickr/ U.S. Department of Agriculture
When it comes to Fourth of July celebrations, our nation’s capital has almost everything you need. The National Independence Day Parade, historic monuments, an amazing fireworks show… The only factor which didn’t allow the capital to really run away with the prize was the average price per mile index: $0.21. Second highest on the list.
Cheap bus routes to Washington D.C.
Washington D.C. ↔ Philadelphia, PA
2. Boston
Flickr/ redlinx
Boston is known to be one of the most traditional and history-rich cities in the country. Add very affordable bus tickets, thanks to its price per mile average (4th on the list) and it isn’t hard to see why it claimed second place (along with Philadelphia).
Cheap bus routes to Boston, MA
3. Philadelphia
Flickr/ michaelrighi
The Declaration of Independence was signed in the City of Brotherly Love. Just that should make it the place to be during the Fourth of July Weekend; the fourth highest price per mile average got in the way this time.
Cheap bus routes to Philadelphia, PA
Baltimore, MD ↔ Philadelphia, PA
4. San Francisco
Flickr/ string_bass_dave
And so ends the East Coast epicness reign. San Francisco proudly represents the West Coast in the top 5 and does so thanks to its proximity to the Alameda Parade, its spectacular fireworks display, and the second lowest price per mile average on the list.
Cheap bus routes to San Francisco, CA
Los Angeles, CA ↔ San Francisco, CA
5. Nashville
Flickr/ rexblog
Music City has one of the best fireworks shows in the country and it does justice to its nickname by flooding its streets with music and amazing shows. It also has the third lowest price per mile average on July 4th.
Cheap bus routes to Nashville, TN
Louisville, KY ↔ Nashville, TN
6. New York City
Flickr/ zokuga
The Big Apple arguably has the most spectacular fireworks show, so it might be surprising for many not to find NYC among the top 5 celebrations in the country. The Macy’s Fireworks Show is so “yuge”, that it actually dwarfs all other celebrations in town. NYC’s price per mile average was fourth highest at $0.18
Cheap bus routes to NYC, NY
7. New Orleans
Flickr/ 30928442@N08/4950792252
New Orleans’ unique mix of American history and one of the best celebrations in the country, make it a prime candidate if you want to have a memorable Fourth of July. Getting there shouldn’t be much of an issue, either; New Orleans has the best price per mile average on the list: $0.09.
Cheap bus routes to New Orleans, LA
Baton Rouge, LA ↔ New Orleans, LA
8. Las Vegas
Sin City hosts one of the most jaw-dropping fireworks shows and we would trust a city which has a constant party 24/7 to provide one of the best celebrations in the country. At $0.15 per mile, it is also one of the most affordable cities to travel to by bus.
Cheap bus routes to Las Vegas, NV
Los Angeles, CA ↔ Las Vegas, NV
Salt Lake City, UT ↔ Las Vegas, NV
9. San Diego
Flickr/ portofsandiego
San Diego has arguably the largest fireworks show on the West Coast. Despite its apparent lack of historic significance when compared to other cities, San Diego still remains a symbol of patriotism for the country’s troops. It’s also in a virtual tie with Las Vegas for the 5th most affordable price per mile average on July 4th.
Cheap bus routes to San Diego, CA
Los Angeles, CA ↔ Las Vegas, NV
Los Angeles, CA ↔ San Diego, CA
10. Mount Rushmore
We chose Rapid City as the starting point of your patriotic weekend to Mount Rushmore. Unfortunately, there haven’t been any fireworks shows at Mount Rushmore for the last 5 years. This would have surely raised its stake in the Fireworks Display category. It’s eye-popping $0.39 per mile average, however, might have kept it from reaching a higher ranking in the end.
Methodology:
To calculate the price per mile, 4 popular bus routes per city were selected. For each route, the distance and the cheapest price on July 4th, 2016 were selected and then an average price according to distance was calculated. A general average price per mile was then calculated with the available data.
Other photo credits:
Liberty Bell, Philadelphia:
Flickr/ pepsiline
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