Is United States Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

The United States generally offers a safe environment for solo female travelers. Smaller towns and rural areas are typically safe and you'll often find people help you if you're in trouble. Major cities are also generally safe, but just like in any large cities around the world, you should take usual precautions and avoid less crowded areas late at night. Public transportation and taxi systems are overall reliable and safe.

Safety rating

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How safe is United States?

Safety at night:

Safety at night:Moderate

The safety of walking alone at night in the United States largely depends on the location. Urban, well-lit areas, and places with high foot traffic are generally safer than isolated or poorly lit areas. However, even in relatively safe cities, the level of safety can vary from neighborhood to neighborhood. It's also important to be aware of your surroundings, avoid distractions such as your mobile phone, and note the locations of nearby businesses or authorities should you need them. A considerable number of cities have designated safe areas for women and emergency call boxes. Nonetheless, use measures of caution when walking alone at night.
Public transportation:

Public transportation:Safe

Public transportation in the United States is generally safe, with systems like buses, subways, and trams well-maintained and monitored for security. However, like anywhere, safety can vary depending on the location and time of day. It's always wise to stay aware of your surroundings, especially during off-peak times. In major cities, public transport is frequently used by a broad cross-section of residents, which also tends to improve safety.
Street harassment:

Street harassment:Moderate

Street harassment in the United States can vary greatly depending on the city or region you're in. In larger cities or more populated areas, harassment may occur more frequently. It can range from verbal comments to more aggressive behavior. However, it's important to note that there are also many areas where instances of street harassment are rare and authorities are often quick to respond to such matters. Awareness and education about street harassment and women's safety are rising, contributing to a decrease in occurrences.
Petty crimes:

Petty crimes:Moderate

While safety varies greatly across different regions and cities in the United States, the overall risk of petty crime, including pickpocketing and theft, is moderate. Popular tourist destinations may see higher rates of these crimes, particularly in crowded areas or at major events. Always be aware of your surroundings, avoid flashing valuable items, and secure your belongings to minimize the risk.

Is United States worth visiting?

Overall rating

4.6 /5

based on 370 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

4.5/5

Safety

4.3/5

Food

4.3/5

Budget-friendly

3.6/5
Carolyn

Carolyn

United States

Mount Pleasant, Family travel

We stayed at the residence in town and I was a nice hotel with a cute and large breakfast area. The town has a very luxurious and expensive feel. Stores are built to look nice rather than attract customers. This makes the town have an overall elevated feel. Would highly recommend!

Posted: April 22, 2025
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Jasmin

Jasmin

Germany

Las Vegas, Group travel

It was a really great experience. I was with a travel group from a language academy what made it a lot easier. We stayed at a motel which was a bit outside of the city, because we were all under 21 and not allowed to go through the casinos, so we had to took a hotel where the rooms are outside of the casino. We went to the Grand Canyons, which was a really impressing experienc, it’s such a great view and it was really stunning, after this we went to Arizona Casey, who is a musician that lives on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. The atmosphere on the ranch was so great! Then we went to a Katy Perry concert, her show was absolutely stunning and really impressive. After that we went to all the hotels in the city and it was great, there are whole cities build inside the hotels and it’s definitely worth We also took a ride through the red canyons. In the hotels, the Freemont street and the canyons I felt safe but it was a bit scary at night because we had a few scary people in our motel. So at night it wasn’t so nice. We got a car to go to all the places, and the group leaders were driving. The costs were a bit high. We payed 4000 for everything, food, the flight, the activities and fuel. So it was a bit exp but definitely worth it. All in all it was a great experience and I can definitely recommend Las Vegas :))

Posted: April 21, 2025
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Salma

Salma

Iran

Los Angeles, Solo travel

Overall I didn't feel the safest if I wasn't in a super crowded or public place. I didn't feel to at ease walking the streets as a solo traveller. It wasn't super easy to get around without getting an uber but that's the case for most of North America. I was on a tight budget but there are lots of hotels offering shared female's rooms with lockers. That was a cool experience.

Posted: April 18, 2025Experienced: March, 2024
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Eylül

Eylül

Germany

Miami Beach, Solo travel

Miami really was a an experience on it’s own! The beach and the weather were just right and the people were extremely nice. I stayed in a hostel in South Beach and the girls in my room were lovely too🥰 It is an affordable option to a hotel or Airbnb. It is a very expensive city and I would absolutely recommend the Cafe‘s on Washington Ave!!

Posted: April 18, 2025
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Nyah

Nyah

United Kingdom

New York, Group travel

I love love loved New York. I went in 2023 before trump was elected thankfully. One of my all time favourite trips - it was a school trip so I was with a massive class under the care of my teachers. Such an amazing time, the plane ride was painful haha but yeah so so fun.

Posted: April 17, 2025
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United States, Family travel

In June and July 2022, I made a road trip with my family from Canada to the USA. It was : Montreal > Detroit > Boston > Provincetown and Cape Cod. 🚘 In average I feel pretty safe. When I was in Detroit we sleep in friends’ house so quite more immersive than an hotel. Montreal was a friendly place with very nice people all around. The street art on Saint-Laurent Boulevard is great. 🎨 Detroit was cool but in France, right after the COVID it was the “no bra” trend and Americans weren’t confortable with that at all ! Even little girls had to wear bra with hull because nipples are really shocking over there 😅 Boston was a great old money vibe town. I would recommend to go on the Boston Seaport for the sunset it’s amazing. 🌅 Provincetown is wonderful. I never feel that safe in my life. It’s LGBT friendly and they have such amazing shops all around to bring a souvenir. 🏳️‍🌈 And about Cape Cod it was fine. I liked the local artists selling their sea art. I also tried the famous lobster roll, quite expensive, but worth it ! 🦞

Posted: April 13, 2025
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Utah, Group travel

We went to Utah to explore the Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks. It was amazing. The food although closer to the park is limited in terms of options, so pack some snacks. The crowd was nice and we felt safe.

Posted: April 11, 2025Experienced: February, 2025
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Melissa

Melissa

Canada

Oahu, Solo travel

I had an epic experience with One Ocean Diving in Oahu, Hawaii. Ocean Ramsey & Juan Shark are the perfect people to conquer this potential fear with or live out a dream. Sharks used to be a fear of mine and as a professional Stunt woman, it's my nature to push my limits like this. One Ocean Diving are educational and offer a cage free dive with safety divers. I paid the extra fee and had a photographer join us. (They offer this) So you can enjoy your experience and not worry about selfies. Lol 🩵🌊🤙

Posted: March 15, 2025
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Chicago, Solo travel

I loved staying in Chicago and although all the talk you hear about how dangerous it is compared to other cities I felt super safe. I loved the architecture boat tour and all the different things Chicago had to offer. Also loved that Chicago is super walkable!

Posted: March 10, 2025
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New York, Group travel

I spent six days in New York City last summer. I felt safe. There were a few weird people, but they didn’t really care about others. And if they did, you just had to ignore them. Things to do: Brooklyn (DUMBO, Brooklyn Bridge), Central Park, Grand Central Terminal, Times Square, take the free ferry to see the Statue of Liberty, visit the 9/11 Memorial (I didn’t go inside), Summit One Vanderbilt (the ticket was around $50, I guess), and take the free cable car. I had a MetroCard, which was about $30–40 for a week. I stayed in New Jersey and took a bus every day. It happened to be free that week, so I was really lucky! The ride was about half an hour. I used the subway at the end of the day, tried to walk as much as possible, and occasionally took a bus during the day. The hotel was pretty nice.

Posted: March 7, 2025
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Is United States safe for women?

Safety index

4 /5

Based on 1213 local experiences

Crime index

2.4 /5

Based on 1213 local experiences

C

C

United States

I'm honestly not sure how safe this country is anymore. The stories I've been reading about people being harassed, detained, and "deported" are quite frightening. Freedom of speech, especially if you are critical of the current Administration, is clearly being censored. I advise you to delete and sign out of apps when flying in across the border.

Posted: April 25, 2025
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Carissa

Carissa

Arcata

It's safe, I'd recommend being mainly around Old Town Eureka or Arcata. I feel like both are walkable, but the parts of Arcata that are neighborhoods are safer than most of the places outside of Old Town Eureka. Definitely rent a car or take a taxi. There's a lot to see, and that needs a car to get to.

Posted: April 23, 2025
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Meet locals in United States

Carissa

Carissa

About Me

Hi, I'm Carissa, I'm 32, and my pronouns are she/her. I love to travel and see less of the touristy things. Although I'm really big on history, architecture, learning how things are made, and food when it comes to travel. I have two cute Yorkies (hypoallergenic) at home that I love dearly, but I am allergic to animal dander. I tend to be on the quieter side, but I love getting to hear other people's stories and try to learn as much as I can wherever I go. I value meeting people, dancing, laughing, eating new things and enjoying magical moments that travel has to offer. I love talking about physical and mental health, food from both historical and socio-economic perspectives, cultural norms, and family systems. You could also find me talking about dance, movies, music, art and fashion. I love it all.

Speaking

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Anahi

Anahi

About Me

Hiii, my name is Anahí. My birthday is on December 9, which means I’m a Sagittarius ♐️! I’m currently 22 and I love traveling and meeting new people/places. I’m from the US specifically the garden state, New Jersey. I’m also Mexican 🇲🇽, my parents are from the state of Oaxaca. I speak fluent English and Spanish! I live about 15min from the beach 🏖️ , in the summer you’ll probably find me there lol. I am currently working as a school district behavior technician, which means I work with kids on the spectrum 🧒. I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology and plan on getting a master’s degree in school counseling somewhere in the near future 🎓.

Speaking

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Stay with locals in United States

Cat

Cat

Isla Vista

Can host for:

3 days

About me

hi i’m catrina! i’m a recent graduate from the university of California, Santa Barbara, and I’m excited to travel Europe this summer as my graduation trip. I love hiking, surfing, running, reading books, and hammock. I would love to meet friends while I am in Europe, and have locals show me around. I’m well traveled and I studied abroad in Chile in fall of 2023 and love my experience. I am also fluent in Spanish and would love to practice, although I’m a little rusty. looking forward to meeting and hopefully staying with people!

Speaking

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Serina

Serina

New York

Can host for:

3 days

About me

I’m 35 from the Midwest, but have lived in LA and currently in NY. I like to say I started traveling with my best friend before it was cool 😉

Speaking

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Upcoming visitors to United States

Rihana

Rihana

About Me

I’m 27. I live in Oslo,Norway and I study nursing. I love to travel but I feel like I haven’t been able to travel much because it’s so expensive. I would love to travel a lot more whenever I get the chance. I love to meet new people when I travel and learn from the locals about the culture and get inside info you can’t get from the internet. I’m mostly busy with school and work atm. Feel free to reach out about whatever.

Speaking

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Rachel

Rachel

About Me

Love browsing through bookshops and finding unexpected places to eat.

Speaking

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Safety in United States