Is the USA Safe to Visit? Safety Guide for Tourists

The USA is generally safe for tourists, but it is a large and varied country, and crime rates differ dramatically between neighbourhoods within the same city. Most visits—tens of millions of international tourists every year—pass without incident. The risks that do exist are concentrated in specific areas and situations. This guide covers them accurately.

The Overall Picture

The US State Department does not advise against travel to the USA for its own citizens or foreign visitors for most of the country. The UK Foreign Office rates the USA as broadly safe with standard precautions recommended—the same tier as France, Spain, or Germany.

That said, the USA has a higher rate of violent crime than most Western European countries. The CDC reports approximately 17 firearm deaths per 100,000 people annually in the USA, compared to 0.2 in the UK and 0.9 in France. The vast majority of firearm violence is concentrated in specific urban neighbourhoods associated with gang activity—not in areas tourists typically visit.

Petty theft, car break-ins, and opportunistic scams are more relevant risks for most visitors.

City-by-City Safety Guide

New York City

New York is considerably safer than its 1980s reputation suggests. The city’s overall violent crime rate has fallen roughly 85% since its 1990 peak. That said, pickpocketing on the subway remains common, particularly on the 1/2/3 lines and in Times Square.

Safe for tourists: Midtown Manhattan, the Upper West Side, the Upper East Side, Brooklyn Heights, Williamsburg, Park Slope, Astoria (Queens), Long Island City.

Exercise caution: Parts of East New York (Brooklyn), Brownsville, and sections of the South Bronx have higher violent crime rates. The subway is generally safe during the day; remain alert late at night, particularly on near-empty carriages. Avoid displaying expensive cameras, jewellery, or phones conspicuously.

Specific precaution: Keep bags in front of you on the subway, especially on crowded trains. iPhone and MacBook theft on the NYC subway spiked in 2022–2024; lock your screen and keep it in an inside pocket.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles is navigated primarily by car, which changes the risk profile compared to pedestrian-heavy cities. Tourist neighbourhoods—Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, and Venice—are broadly safe for daytime tourism.

Exercise caution: Downtown LA (especially Skid Row, around 5th and San Pedro) has a large unhoused population and should be avoided at night. Some parts of South LA, Compton, and Inglewood have higher violent crime rates, though these are away from tourist routes.

Car break-ins are a significant and widely reported problem in San Francisco (see below) and increasingly in LA. Never leave anything visible in a parked car—not a laptop bag, not a reusable grocery bag, not a phone charging cable. Even empty bags left on seats attract smash-and-grab attempts.

Chicago

Chicago has a high rate of gun violence concentrated in neighbourhoods on the South and West Sides—Englewood, Austin, Garfield Park, and Roseland. These areas are not on standard tourist itineraries.

Safe for tourists: The Magnificent Mile, River North, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Logan Square, the Lakefront trail, and most of the North Side.

Exercise caution at night: Certain areas of the Loop and the Red Line (especially south of Roosevelt) after midnight can feel unsafe. Take rideshare rather than walking unfamiliar routes after dark.

Chicago winters also pose a genuine physical risk: wind chill can drop to -25°C (-13°F) or lower. Exposed skin freezes in minutes in these conditions. Frostbite and hypothermia are real concerns for visitors unprepared for the cold.

San Francisco

San Francisco has a high rate of property crime, particularly car break-ins. The Tenderloin and parts of SoMa have visible open drug use and should be avoided at night; daytime passes through are generally fine.

Safe for tourists: Fisherman’s Wharf, North Beach, Chinatown, the Marina, Noe Valley, the Castro, and most of the Mission during daylight.

Car break-ins: Do not leave anything in a rental car in San Francisco. The problem is systematic and widespread — police rarely investigate individual incidents. Rental car companies have started posting signs advising this in their SF pickup locations.

Miami

Miami Beach and most tourist corridors are safe with standard precautions. Overtown and Liberty City have higher violent crime rates and are not tourist destinations.

Petty theft hotspots: The beach, open-air markets, and crowded nightlife areas around South Beach are pickpocket zones. Keep wallets in front pockets; use a crossbody bag with a zip closure.

Healthcare Emergency Costs

This is one of the most significant risks for uninsured international visitors.

• Emergency room visit (minor): $1,500–5,000
• Ambulance ride (urban): $1,200–3,500
• Hospital admission (per day): $5,000–15,000
• Surgery: $20,000–150,000+
• Medical evacuation flight home: $50,000–200,000+

These are not worst-case figures—they are routine billing rates. Without travel insurance, a serious accident in the USA can result in debt that follows you for years. Purchase travel insurance with minimum $500,000 medical coverage and medical evacuation before you leave home. See our separate travel insurance guide for recommended providers.

In a medical emergency, call 911. For non-emergencies, Urgent Care clinics charge $150–250 for a visit and treat most minor illnesses, injuries, and infections without an appointment.

Driving Safety

Road traffic accidents kill approximately 42,000 Americans annually—more per capita than in most comparable wealthy countries. Key risks for visitors:

• Long distances and fatigue: Plan no more than 4–5 hours of driving per day on road trips. Interstate driving is monotonous; fatigue sets in faster than expected.
• Highway speed: US highways move fast. 80 mph is legal on some Western interstates, and the actual flow of traffic often exceeds the posted limit.
• Distracted driving: Using a phone without a hands-free mount is illegal in most states and carries heavy fines.
• Driving under the influence: The legal BAC limit is 0.08% in most states, 0.05% in Utah. DUI penalties are severe and will flag on any future US visa application.
• Wildlife: In rural areas of the Mountain West, deer, elk, and moose cross roads at night. Drive at reduced speed after dark and watch for eye-shine.

Natural Disaster Zones

The USA has several regions with elevated natural disaster risk:

• Hurricanes: The Gulf Coast (Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi) and Atlantic Coast (Carolinas, Georgia) face hurricane season June through November. Check NOAA forecasts at weather.gov and have a clear evacuation plan if you are in a coastal area during storm season.
• Tornadoes: The central USA from Texas through Kansas, Nebraska, and into South Dakota (Tornado Alley) sees peak tornado activity March through June. Follow local weather alerts via the NOAA Weather Radio or the Emergency Alert System on your phone.
• Earthquakes: The Pacific Coast (California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska) and the Wasatch Front (Utah) face seismic risk. Know the “Drop, Cover, Hold On” response — do not run outside during shaking.
• Wildfires: California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and Arizona face increasing wildfire risk June through October. Check current fire maps at inciweb.wildfire.gov before hiking in fire-prone areas.
• Extreme cold: The upper Midwest and Northeast see life-threatening cold spells in January and February. Frostbite can set in within 10 minutes in extreme wind chill.

Common Tourist Scams

• Times Square (NYC) costumed characters: Pose for a photo and they demand $20–50. Ignore or decline before posing.
• CD hustlers (NYC, Hollywood Walk of Fame): Someone hands you a “free” CD then demands payment. Do not take it.
• Taxi overcharging at airports: Always use rideshare (Uber/Lyft) or the official taxi rank with a metered cab. Avoid unmarked car solicitations inside terminal arrivals.
• Ticket scalpers: Concert and event ticket scalpers in major cities sometimes sell counterfeit tickets. Buy from official venues or Ticketmaster/AXS only.
• Fake charity solicitations: Clipboard-wielding “charity collectors” in tourist areas often keep most or all donations. Research charities before giving.
• Wi-Fi phishing: Avoid logging into banking or email on unencrypted public Wi-Fi in hotels, cafes, and airports. Use a VPN (ExpressVPN, NordVPN) on public networks.

Emergency Numbers

• Emergency (police, fire, ambulance): 911
• Non-emergency police: varies by city; most can be reached by dialling the city’s general information line (311 in NYC, LA, Chicago, and other major cities)
• Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
• NOAA Weather Radio: tune to WX1–WX8 on a weather radio, or check weather.gov

Your country’s embassy or consulate can assist in emergencies involving lost passports, serious crimes, or hospitalisation. Keep the nearest consulate’s after-hours number saved in your phone.