Skip to content

Top Navigation

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Trip Inspiration
  • Plan Your Trip
  • World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises
  • Travel Tips
  • News
  • Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Travel + Leisure

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Explore

    Explore

    • World's Best

      World's Best

      The greatest islands, cities, hotels, cruise lines, airports, and more — as voted by you. Read More
    • The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2021

      The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2021

      Whether you're traveling solo or planning a family vacation, here are the 50 best places to visit in 2021. Read More
    • Let's Go Together Podcast

      Let's Go Together Podcast

      Start listening to T+L's brand new podcast, Let's Go Together! Hosted by Kellee Edwards. Read More
  • Trip Inspiration

    Trip Inspiration

    • Trip Ideas
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Spring Travel
    • Summer Travel
    • Fall Travel
    • Winter Travel
    • Solo Travel
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Luxury Travel
    • Beach Vacations
    • Adventure Travel
    • Road Trips
    • Family Travel
    • National Parks
    • Holiday Travel
    • Travel Photography
    • Photo of the Day
    • Culture and Design
  • Plan Your Trip

    Plan Your Trip

    Norwegian Cruise Line Will Require Vaccinations for All Passengers and Crew

    Norwegian Cruise Line Will Require Vaccinations for All Passengers and Crew

    Norwegian Cruise Line hopes to resume sailing out of the U.S. on or around July 4.
    • Travel Deals
    • Attractions
    • BookTandL.com
    • Amusement Parks
    • Festivals and Events
    • Bus and Trains
    • Flight Deals
    • Budget Travel
    • Hotels and Resorts
    • Disney Vacations
    • Airlines and Airports
    • Ground Transportation
    • Travel Guides
  • World's Best

    World's Best

    • Top Hotels
    • Top Cities
    • Top Islands
    • Domestic Airlines
    • International Airlines
    • Tours
    • Safaris
    • See All World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises

    Cruises

    • Find A Cruise
    • Caribbean Cruises
    • River Cruises
    • European Cruises
    • All-Inclusive Cruises
    • Family Cruises
    • Alaskan Cruises
    • Disney Cruises
    • See All Cruise Vacations
  • Travel Tips

    Travel Tips

    • Travel Trends
    • Packing Tips
    • Points + Miles
    • Budgeting + Currency
    • Customs + Immigration
    • Responsible Travel
    • Travel Etiquette
    • Travel Warnings
    • Weather
    • Mobile Apps
    • See All Travel Tips
  • News

    News

    • Wellness
    • Celebrity Travel
    • Animals
    • Jobs
    • Offbeat
    • See All News
  • Food + Drink

    Food + Drink

    • Restaurants
    • Wine
    • Beer
    • Cocktails + Spirits
    • Bars + Clubs
    • Celebrity Chefs
    • Cooking + Entertaining
    • Food Fairs + Festivals
    • World's Best Restaurants
    • See All Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories

    Travel Accessories

    • Travel Bags
    • Shoes
    • Travel Tech
    • Shopping
    • Style
    • Gift Guides
    • See All Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

LIVE
  1. Home
  2. America's Favorite Places
  3. America’s Geekiest Cities 2016

America’s Geekiest Cities 2016

By Peter Schlesinger
February 24, 2017
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
America's Geekiest Cities
Credit: Bobby Bank/WireImage
“All the hot girls wear glasses,” observes a character in IFC’s hit sketch comedy show, "Portlandia."And in the Oregon city that "Portlandia" so bitingly mocks, residents hang out in feminist bookstores and peruse artisanal knot stores. Despite the satire, "Portlandia"does touch on a certain geeky quality (a Pedalpalooza bike festival, real-life feminist bookstores) that locals legitimately love.

And, unsurprisingly, Portland’s inherent nerdiness landed it squarely on this year’s list of the geekiest cities in the United States.

While the definition of “geeky” is open to interpretation, Travel + Leisure readers showed a clear preference for cities with vibrant student communities, a plethora of comic book shops, and community-supported Comic Con festivals.

In the annual America's Favorite Places survey, readers of all stripes evaluate hundreds of cities and towns across a range of categories, from the friendliness of the locals to the quality of the pizza. Unlike T+L's World's Best Awards, which encourage readers to weigh in on travel experiences across the globe, the America's Favorite Places survey is a way for locals to share what their hometowns do best.

From popular college towns to major tech and startup communities, these are the best places in the country to get your geek on.

Travel + Leisure’s America’s Favorite Places survey opened on 10/8/2015 and closed on 04/15/2016. It was open to everyone, and ran alongside a sweepstakes. The open-response survey asked respondents to submit their favorite place and rate it in over 65 categories, including affordability, notable restaurants, and public parks. Cities are defined as governed bodies with a population over 100,000.
Start Slideshow

1 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 15 Kansas City, Missouri

America's Geekiest Cities
Credit: Harry Lands / Alamy

Alongside Kansas City’s booming music and arts scene, a nerdy undercurrent has gradually gained mainstream acceptance. Need proof? The city’s 17th Planet Comicon hit 70,000 attendees last year, growing from a small gathering of fans to one of the country’s largest pop culture and comic book conventions.

T+L readers appreciate Kansas City’s geekiness, which can be experienced at the local Legoland’s popular adults-only nights, or weekly trivia evenings around town. Another must-see spot is the River Market’s Arabia Steamboat Museum, which contains the country’s largest collection of pre-Civil War artifacts.

1 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 14 Richmond, Virginia

America's Geekiest Cities
Credit: Norm Shafer/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Richmond is famous as a center for law and finance, and its suited-up residents can be delightfully nerdy. Find them on West Cary Street. Here, One Eyed Jacques sells board and card games as well as discs for Frisbee golf. The shop also hosts game nights, where locals swing by for rounds of Dungeons & Dragons.

Down the street, Chop Suey is a used and rare book store that stocks thousands of titles across its two floors. Directly in between them is World of Mirth, a self-described “alternative toy store,” offering the next generation of geeks educational toys that encourage them to think outside the box.

2 of 15

3 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 13 Raleigh, North Carolina

America's Geekiest Cities
Credit: Joshua Kurz/Getty Images

As the largest city in North Carolina’s Research Triangle—anchored by UNC Chapel Hill, Duke University, and NC State—Raleigh is home to a rapidly growing population of brainiacs. They show off their nerdy side at comic book shops like Fight or Flight comics, or at the popular Boxcar Bar + Arcade: a Warehouse District spot serving two dozen beers on draft and over 70 arcade games, including air hockey, skeeball, pinball machines, and Ms. Pac-Man. Not content to travel the half hour to Durham’s annual fandom convention, Raleigh puts on its own as well.

3 of 15

Advertisement

4 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 12 San Francisco, California

America's Geekiest Cities
Credit: Michael Short/Getty Images

It’s hard to tell what came first in San Francisco, the tech companies or their techie employees. They’re both present in large numbers: Twitter, Weebly, Airbnb, Uber, Lyft, and (nerd alert!) Reddit have headquarters in town, employing tens of thousands of people.

Out of the office, you’ll find proudly geeky San Franciscans at places like The Interval. It’s a cafe-meets-cocktail bar attached to the Long Now Foundation, an organization that fosters innovators to think in the long term. Another sure spot to interact with creative locals is Brewcade, a well-named bar with 21 arcade games and more than two-dozen craft beers on draft.

4 of 15

5 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 11 Salt Lake City, Utah

America's Geekiest Cities
Credit: Chad Hurst/Getty Images

When Salt Lake City hosted its first Comic Con in 2013, more than 100,000 people attended, shattering records for largest first year attendance of a fandom convention, and for the largest convention ever in Utah.

Other annual festivals keep geeky locals busy, including an anime festival, a nearby renaissance fair, a zombie parade, a Harry Potter run, and Salt City Steamfest (a celebration of 19th century mechanics, complete with role playing games and DIY workshops).

5 of 15

6 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 10 Denver, Colorado

America's Geekiest Cities
Credit: Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images

T+L readers head to the Mile High City to ski, to drink craft beer, and to get geeky. They make a beeline to Enchanted Grounds (just south of the city in Highlands Ranch) for artisan roasted coffee alongside games, comics, and cards. The café hosts game nights nearly every day of the week and also produces its own podcast, detailing what’s new in the comic and gaming worlds.

Another popular stop is 1Up Arcade, a retro bar with pinball machines, Skeeball lanes, and other classic games. This is also where locals head to play Giant Jenga and drink any of the dozen-plus beers on tap.

6 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 9 Boston, Massachusetts

America's Geekiest Cities
Credit: William B. Plowman/Getty Images

Beantown has been a center for smarties since its earliest days, home to the country’s first public school, first printing press, first newspaper, and first college (a little university named Harvard). Almost 400 years later, the city is still a creative hub. It was here that the Nerd Nite bar lecture series started, with the slogan “Be There and Be Square.” Nerd Nites now occur in 80 other cities, including most of the winners on this list. Meet the next generation of Boston’s brightest at Brew, in the city’s Innovation District, where dangling Edison bulbs remind cappuccino sippers that many great “aha!” moments started with coffee.

7 of 15

8 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 8 Wilmington, North Carolina

America's Geekiest Cities
Credit: Logan Mock-Bunting/Getty Images

On the coast of North Carolina, this popular filming location for TV cult favorites "One Tree Hill" and "Dawson’s Creek" attracts thousands of super-fans each year. But T+L readers think the locals themselves are just as geeky.

Get in on the town’s nerd culture at stores like Nerdvana Comix: a downtown shop for comic books, board games, and movie memorabilia. Another must-see stop is Cape Fear Games, midway to the beach from town. The store is Wilmington’s top location for playing group table games, either with friends or in organized tournaments.

8 of 15

9 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 7 Austin, Texas

America's Geekiest Cities
Credit: Amy E. Price/FilmMagic

Back in 2000, a local radio host pledged to “Keep Austin Weird,” coining a phrase that has become an unofficial slogan for Austinites ever since. Luckily, it’s worked, and T+L readers think the Texan capital is one of America’s best cities for geek culture.

Austin has a jam-packed calendar of festivals that promote all things indie, quirky, and offbeat, including SXSW, Austin City Limits, and Eeyore’s Birthday (a whimsical celebration of A.A. Milne’s beloved character). And for comic book readers and gamers, Dragon’s Lair Comics and Fantasy is Austin’s one-stop-shop for comics, graphic novels, role playing games, and Dungeons & Dragons meetups.

9 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 6 Detroit, Michigan

America's Geekiest Cities
Credit: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Creative types are returning to Detroit in droves, and are a driving force in the city’s continuing revival. T+L readers have noticed, and voted Motor City one of America’s best places for geeks.

Multiple gaming shops keep locals entertained, while the Michigan Science Center is one of the Midwest’s premier educational museums, with hands-on exhibits, an IMAX theater, and a planetarium. In November, Anime fans take over the city during Youmacon. The annual convention celebrates Japanese pop culture, with cosplay events and panels.

10 of 15

11 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 5 Sacramento, California

America's Geekiest Cities
Credit: Lisa Werner / Alamy

Students at Sacramento State and nearby UC Davis help bring out Sacramento’s nerdy side, showing up for weekly game nights at stores like Big Brother Comics (Wednesdays for board games, Fridays for Magic: The Gathering). The shop’s original location burned down last year, but it’s back by popular demand with a new store downtown.

Empire’s Comics Vault is another favorite shop, hosting community events—cookie bakes, art showcases, live music—and attracting the dog lovers with Rolly Polly and Captain Dylan Hunt, the resident store pugs. Sacramento also hosts an outpost of the Wizard World Comic Con, seeing over 20,000 fans attend each year.

11 of 15

12 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 4 Seattle, Washington

America's Geekiest Cities
Credit: Cristie Guevara/Getty Images

The Emerald City has long had a soft spot for nerdiness. For evidence, head to Golden Age Comics, in the famous Pike Place Market. It’s the country’s oldest comic book store, and has been serving the local community with comics, manga, toys, and games since 1971.

Visitors should also check out the Roosevelt neighborhood’s Wayward Coffee, where dozens of community groups—including gamers, coders, knitters, and fiction writers—meet regularly. Another important stop is the Museum of Pop Culture, inside a massive Frank Gehry-designed complex next to the Space Needle, with exhibits on rock music, fantasy films, and the portrayal of aliens over the decades.

12 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 3 Portland, Oregon

America's Geekiest Cities
Credit: Dee Browning/Getty Images

Taking the bronze in this year’s survey, Portland is a longtime haven for offbeat characters. After Austin coined “Keep Austin Weird,” Portlandians quickly adopted the phrase for their own city, vowing to preserve Portland’s unique character. Where else could a guy dressed like Darth Vader ride around town on a unicycle playing the bagpipes?

Beyond the unipiper, Portland’s streets have more nerdy charm on view with the Horse Project. Locals tether miniature plastic toys to antique metal rings—formerly used for real horses in the 19th century—as a reminder of the city’s past. It all seems straight out of an episode of "Portlandia."

13 of 15

14 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 2 Madison, Wisconsin

America's Geekiest Cities
Credit: csfotoimages/Getty Images

Grad students at the University of Wisconsin gave Madison a leg up in this year’s survey, and T+L readers named the Wisconsin capitol the country’s second geekiest city.

Sector67 (a collaborative space founded in 2010 that invites gadget-loving tinkerers to share 3-D printers and laser cutters) is now planning to move to a huge warehouse. Unsurprisingly, the local fan convention Geek.Con has also ballooned in popularity, nearly doubling since 2008.

The State Street Halloween Party may be the only quirky event to have shrunken in size, reaching a riotous peak of over 100,000 attendees before the city took control a decade ago.

14 of 15

15 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 1 Providence, Rhode Island

America's Geekiest Cities
Credit: Bobby Bank/WireImage

T+L readers give Providence big points for its residents’ geekiness, placing it in the top spot on this year’s list. Home to both Brown University—a quirky Ivy League gem—as well as the Rhode Island School of Design—one of the nation’s leading art and design schools—the city certainly fosters its creative side.

Rhode Island Comic Con consistently draws Sci-Fi, superhero, and comic-book A-Listers like Marvel icon Stan Lee, "Wonder Woman" Gal Gadot, and "Star Trek" legend George Takei. When the celebrities aren’t in town, locals head to Temple Games, in nearby Pawtucket, to play rounds of card, board, and strategy games at communal tables.

15 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Peter Schlesinger

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 15 No. 15 Kansas City, Missouri
    2 of 15 No. 14 Richmond, Virginia
    3 of 15 No. 13 Raleigh, North Carolina
    4 of 15 No. 12 San Francisco, California
    5 of 15 No. 11 Salt Lake City, Utah
    6 of 15 No. 10 Denver, Colorado
    7 of 15 No. 9 Boston, Massachusetts
    8 of 15 No. 8 Wilmington, North Carolina
    9 of 15 No. 7 Austin, Texas
    10 of 15 No. 6 Detroit, Michigan
    11 of 15 No. 5 Sacramento, California
    12 of 15 No. 4 Seattle, Washington
    13 of 15 No. 3 Portland, Oregon
    14 of 15 No. 2 Madison, Wisconsin
    15 of 15 No. 1 Providence, Rhode Island

    Share options

    Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message
    Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Sitemap
    • Travel Guide Sitemap

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletters
    Travel + Leisure Group
    Other Meredith Sites

    Other Meredith Sites

    • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
    • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
    • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
    • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
    • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
    • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
    • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
    • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
    • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
    • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
    • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
    • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
    • Health this link opens in a new tab
    • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
    • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
    • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
    • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
    • More this link opens in a new tab
    • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
    • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
    • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
    • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
    • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
    • Parents this link opens in a new tab
    • People this link opens in a new tab
    • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
    • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
    • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
    • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
    • Shape this link opens in a new tab
    • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
    • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
    • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
    MeredithTravel + Leisure is part of the Travel + Leisure Group. Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Travel + Leisure is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation Travel + Leisure Group All Rights Reserved, registered in the United States and other countries. Travel + Leisure may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.travelandleisure.com

    View image

    America’s Geekiest Cities 2016
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.