What is the windiest city in USA?
30 windiest cities in the US
After analyzing NOAA Comparative Climate Data, which has wind data for approximately 300 cities, the experts at WeatherDB came up with this list of the top 30 windiest cities in America.
The following information is provided by Graphiq and WeatherDB.
by Sabrina Perry
When classifying the weather of a region, most people consider sun, precipitation and temperature highs and lows. Sunny with highs in the 70s? Universally considered “nice.” Rainy with temps below 50 degrees fahrenheit? Not so nice.
What many forget to consider is wind — the dark horse of the weather world. It’s usually ignored until strong gusts or tornadoes start causing serious damage. But, wind chill can turn a pleasantly brisk day into one where you huddle inside for warmth. And, on hot days, a nice breeze can make them bearable. Because of this, wind has a reputation as a polarizing weather condition.
After analyzing NOAA Comparative Climate Data, which has wind data for approximately 300 cities, the experts at WeatherDB found the top 30 windiest cities in America. Though some cities may suffer bouts of extreme wind, the cities on this list are the windiest on average. As it turns out, Chicago isn’t quite the “Windy City” it’s made out to be.
For each city, the average temperature highs and lows are also included, as well as the windiest month and population size, which is based on the most recent 2014 census data.
Note: In the case of ties, cities with lower average high temperatures are ranked higher.
#30. Galveston, Texas
Average Wind Speed: 11.1 mph
Average High Temperature: 77.2 F
Average Low Temperature: 65.2 F
Most Windy Months: April, May
Population: 48,513
#29. Concordia, Kansas
Average Wind Speed: 11.1 mph
Average High Temperature: 64.9 F
Average Low Temperature: 42.6 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 5,327
#28. Fargo, North Dakota
Average Wind Speed: 11.1 mph
Average High Temperature: 52.6 F
Average Low Temperature: 31.9 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 110,725
#27. Wichita Falls, Texas
Average Wind Speed: 11.2 mph
Average High Temperature: 75.7 F
Average Low Temperature: 50.9 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 104,771
#26. Grand Island, Nebraska
Average Wind Speed: 11.2 mph
Average High Temperature: 62.3 F
Average Low Temperature: 39.1 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 50,059
#25. Merlin, Oregon
Average Wind Speed: 11.2 mph
Average High Temperature: 56.5 F
Average Low Temperature: 40.6 F
Most Windy Month: November
Population: 1,594
#24. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Average Wind Speed: 11.4 mph
Average High Temperature: 72.1 F
Average Low Temperature: 50.7 F
Most Windy Months: March, April
Population: 600,729
#23. Great Falls, Montana
Average Wind Speed: 11.5 mph
Average High Temperature: 57.1 F
Average Low Temperature: 32 F
Most Windy Month: January
Population: 59,017
#22. Wichita, Kansas
Average Wind Speed: 11.6 mph
Average High Temperature: 67.6 F
Average Low Temperature: 45.5 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 385,518
#21. Boston, Massachusetts
Average Wind Speed: 11.6 mph
Average High Temperature: 58.7 F
Average Low Temperature: 44 F
Most Windy Month: March
Population: 639,594
#20. Corpus Christi, Texas
Average Wind Speed: 11.7 mph
Average High Temperature: 81.6 F
Average Low Temperature: 62.7 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 312,680
#19. Bethel, Alaska
Average Wind Speed: 11.7 mph
Average High Temperature: 37.5 F
Average Low Temperature: 23.7 F
Most Windy Month: January
Population: 6,295
#18. Inwood, New York
Average Wind Speed: 11.8 mph
Average High Temperature: 61.5 F
Average Low Temperature: 47.2 F
Most Windy Month: March
Population: 9,609
#17. Kotzebue, Alaska
Average Wind Speed: 11.8 mph
Average High Temperature: 28.6 F
Average Low Temperature: 16.8 F
Most Windy Month: November
Population: 3,273
#16. Lubbock, Texas
Average Wind Speed: 12 mph
Average High Temperature: 74.2 F
Average Low Temperature: 46.9 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 236,868
#15. Casper, Wyoming
Average Wind Speed: 12 mph
Average High Temperature: 59.2 F
Average Low Temperature: 31.3 F
Most Windy Month: January
Population: 57,815
#14. Clayton, New Mexico
Average Wind Speed: 12.1 mph
Average High Temperature: 67.8 F
Average Low Temperature: 40.2 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 2,387
#13. Goodland, Kansas
Average Wind Speed: 12.2 mph
Average High Temperature: 65 F
Average Low Temperature: 37.6 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 4,879
#12. New York, New York
Average Wind Speed: 12.2 mph
Average High Temperature: 62.8 F
Average Low Temperature: 48.1 F
Most Windy Months: February, March
Population: 8,354,889
#11. Rochester, Minnesota
Average Wind Speed: 12.2 mph
Average High Temperature: 54.6 F
Average Low Temperature: 36.1 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 109,252
#10. Cheyenne, Wyoming
Average Wind Speed: 12.4 mph
Average High Temperature: 58.5 F
Average Low Temperature: 34.2 F
Most Windy Month: January
Population: 61,470
#9. Barrow, Alaska
Average Wind Speed: 12.6 mph
Average High Temperature: 17.2 F
Average Low Temperature: 6.2 F
Most Windy Month: October
Population: 4,296
#8. Amarillo, Texas
Average Wind Speed: 12.8 mph
Average High Temperature: 70.9 F
Average Low Temperature: 43.7 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 194,930
#7. Kahului, Hawaii
Average Wind Speed: 12.9 mph
Average High Temperature: 84.3 F
Average Low Temperature: 67.4 F
Most Windy Months: June, July
Population: 27,339
#6. Dodge City, Kansas
Average Wind Speed: 13.2 mph
Average High Temperature: 68.1 F
Average Low Temperature: 42.5 F
Most Windy Month: April
Population: 27,950
#5. Lihue, Hawaii
Average Wind Speed: 13.3 mph
Average High Temperature: 81.2 F
Average Low Temperature: 70.4 F
Most Windy Month: July
Population: 6,955
#4. Kaktovik, Alaska
Average Wind Speed: 13.3 mph
Average High Temperature: 16 F
Average Low Temperature: 4 F
Most Windy Month: January
Population: 176
#3. Dedham, Massachusetts
Average Wind Speed: 15 mph
Average High Temperature: 60 F
Average Low Temperature: 36.9 F
Most Windy Month: March
Population: 25,111
#2. St. Paul Island, Alaska
Average Wind Speed: 15.5 mph
Average High Temperature: 38.9 F
Average Low Temperature: 30.8 F
Most Windy Month: January
Population: 484
#1. Cold Bay, Alaska
Average Wind Speed: 16.2 mph
Average High Temperature: 43.6 F
Average Low Temperature: 34 F
Most Windy Month: February
Population: 44
- Share This:
- share on facebook
- share on twitter
- share via email
Why is Chicago Called “The Windy City”?
If you’ve ever taken a stroll along Lake Michigan, you may have felt a stronger breeze along the water, but that increase in wind speed is actually not why Chicago is called the windy city. So where did the Chicago “windy city” nickname come from? Skydeck has the scoop on this mysterious moniker.
Is Chicago a Windy City?
Contrary to popular belief, Chicago is not the windiest city in the United States. That honor goes to Boston, Massachusetts, which boasts wind speeds that are regularly up to two miles per hour faster than Chicago’s. In fact, Chicago doesn’t even rank on most top 10 lists for wind speeds in America, so why is Chicago called the windy city?
A Different Kind of Wind
One of the first known instances of Chicago’s “windy city” nickname came from a New York Sun reporter named Charles A. Dana in 1893, who editorialized that the city’s politicians were “full of hot air.” Chicago and New York were in a head-to-head competition at the time to host the next World’s Fair, and Chicago’s “windbag” advocates were not shy about campaigning for their hometown in order to win. Despite Dana’s best efforts to discredit Chicago as a “windy city”, the 1893 World’s Fair was held in Illinois, not New York.
Even before the World’s Fair debate, there were other published instances of the windy city nickname. The Cincinnati Enquirer used the term in 1876 in reference to a tornado that blew through the city, while also capitalizing on the term’s double meaning to highlight local speakers who were “full of wind.”
From there, the nickname stuck, and the rest is history!
Other Chicago Nicknames
The Chicago “windy city” nickname usually is what sticks in people’s minds, but there are several other names Chicago is known for:
- Chi-town: Pronounced shy-town, this is a shortened version of the city’s name
- The City of Big Shoulders: Taken from the first line of Carl Sandburg’s poem, “Chicago”
- The Second City: This one has two possible meanings. The first refers to when Chicago was the second largest metropolitan city in the United States during the early 20th century; the second calling on when the city had to rebuild itself for the second time after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871.
What Else is Chicago Known For?
Take a look at the other nicknames for Chicago, and you’ll have a pretty clear idea of what else the windy city is known for! From Italian beef to Second City, Chicago has forged a path and made history in a wide array of industries. Here are just a few that every Chicago history buff should know about:
- Meatpacking: Chicago is a railroad hub positioned at the center of the country, making it the perfect location for packing meat supplied by midwestern farms.
- Cuisine: Home of deep-dish pizza and the Italian beef sandwich, Chicago is renowned for these and other famous local foods.
- Architecture: Chicago was rebuilt at a furious pace following the Great Chicago Fire, and the result was an influx of new designs and innovative building techniques.
Skyscrapers: The world’s first skyscraper was raised in Chicago, the 10-story Home Insurance Building. Our very own Willis Tower is currently the third-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
Chicago is Fun By Any Name!
Why is it called the windy city? We’re not full of hot air when we say Chicago is great! You can experience everything the city has to offer for yourself when you plan a visit. While you’re here, be sure to add Skydeck to your must-see list! We offer incredible views of the Windy City for an adventure you’ll never forget. Save time when you get your tickets online!
Purchase your tickets today! Order Now
The world’s windiest cities
It can get a little breezy in CPP’s hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado. With average wind speeds approaching 40 miles per hour (18 m/s) on some days, and gusts in excess of 45 (20 m/s), walking around town isn’t always a walk in the park (even when it’s a literal walk in the park). These winds lead us to thinking about breezy locales and the special considerations that city planners include to ensure safety and comfort.
Chicago’s nickname is the Windy City, and while it’s true that urban canyons between the city’s iconic skyscrapers can transform mild breezes into localized gales, the moniker is actually a reference to the city’s famously boisterous politicians. Among large American cities, Chicago doesn’t even warrant a spot in the top ten.
If it’s wind you’re after, head to coastal cities of the Northeast like Boston and New York in winter, and then travel west to San Francisco for the summer. In fact, these three cities have such unique wind climates that building in them requires a special wind study .
San Francisco’s location between the hot Central Valley and the ocean makes it ripe for windy days. The City by the Bay is surrounded on three sides by water: The Pacific to the west, the Golden Gate to the north, and San Francisco Bay to the east. The cooling effect of large bodies of water provides a counterpoint to heating in California’s Central Valley, setting up a temperature (and therefore pressure) gradient, and drawing air through the Golden Gate. Wind is a natural consequence of this effect, and its significance is reflected in the provisions of the San Francisco Planning Code, which establishes criteria for wind comfort and hazards.
Bostonians and New Yorkers can thank their positions on the Atlantic coast for their windy reputations. Powerful offshore low-pressure systems like Nor’easters conspire with the cities’ grids of tall buildings to push large volumes of air through comparatively narrow spaces. It’s the same wind tunnel effect that plagues Chicago, but the driving winds can be considerably higher.
Article 80 of the Boston Zoning Code, implemented by the Boston Redevelopment Authority in 1996, requires that all new development undergo a study to quantify wind effects , not just for the proposed structure, but for conditions at ground level. Meanwhile, New York is so windy, and has such unique urban topography, that city planners specify a custom wind code for the city that goes beyond the typical provisions of ASCE 7-10.
Wellington, New Zealand, is widely regarded as the windiest major city in the world, with an average wind speed of more than 16 miles per hour. It owes that status to its position on the Cook Strait, between the north and south islands, which once again, creates a sort of wind tunnel through which ocean breezes strengthen.
Other blustery locales around the world include Rio Gallegos, Argentina; Punta Arenas, Chile; St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada; Perth, Australia; and Yigo, Guam.
As for the highest wind speed ever recorded? That honor goes to Barrow Island, Australia, which experienced a wind gust of 253 miles per hour (113 m/s) on April 10, 1996, during Severe Tropical Cyclone Olivia.
At CPP, we understand how buildings and structures affect wind patterns. We use this knowledge to help you protect the outdoor experiences of people walking or lounging near the building. Whether you’re a building owner, an architect, an engineer, or a developer, you have a stake in the success of your building. Contact CPP and let our talented team and years of experience ensure that your next project doesn’t blow away.
