With travelers increasingly conscious of the impact they could be having on the planet, cities are doing their best to be more sustainable.

The cities around the world are now doing their bit when it comes to fighting climate change, from using more renewable energy or encouraging residents and visitors to use public transport, cycle and walk.

So, which are the most sustainable destinations in the US?

To find out, travel industry experts analyzed some of America’s most visited cities on a range of sustainable factors.

The Top 10 Most Sustainable Cities in the USA

Rank	City	% of Sustainable Hotels	% of people who walk, cycle or use public transport to work	Renewable Energy as % of total consumption	Average Annual Air Pollution (μg/m³)	Artificial Brightness (μcd/m2)	Carbon Footprint per person (t CO2)	Miles of Cycle Paths	Congestion Level	Score /10
1	Portland	9.00%	33.2%	43.1%	7.0	6,590	16.7	5.31	20%	7.50
2	Seattle	9.19%	44.8%	38.4%	6.0	8,240	17.3	12.19	23%	7.29
3	New York City	14.33%	71.6%	12.9%	10.0	11,700	17.1	124.19	35%	6.50
4	Minneapolis	4.40%	30.4%	15.6%	11.4	8,780	21.8	41.70	10%	6.46
4	Denver	5.15%	21.9%	11.3%	9.8	5,250	19.4	9.00	18%	6.46
6	Boston	7.45%	54.1%	6.8%	8.0	8,340	19.0	5.31	19%	6.17
7	Salt Lake City	3.01%	20.4%	7.0%	9.1	4,670	15.5	1.59	15%	6.04
8	Buffalo	5.88%	20.7%	12.9%	9.3	6,140	19.8	0.07	13%	6.00
9	San Jose	3.64%	11.3%	16.4%	8.5	5,220	17.5	0.40	19%	5.67
9	Austin	2.41%	15.9%	7.5%	10.7	7,480	15.0	19.10	20%	5.67

1. Portland, Oregon

In first place is Portland, Oregon, which is well known for being a progressive city, so it makes sense that sustainability would be important here.

The state of Oregon has the highest rate of renewable energy usage of any on our list (43.1%) and also scores highly for its low light pollution (6,590μcd/m2) and the number of sustainable hotels (9% of total hotels).

Portland has regularly ranked highly in lists of the Greenest Cities in America and was one of the first to introduce a comprehensive plan to tackle CO2 emissions.

2. Seattle, Washington

Not too far from Portland is the second-placed city of Seattle, Washington. The city is known for being a technology hub and has experienced rapid population growth, but it was also the first to pledge to become climate neutral, doing so back in 2010.

Like Portland, Seattle scores highly for its usage of renewable energy (38.4%) as well as for its average air pollution (6μg/m³), people who walk or use public transport (44.8%) and sustainable hotels (9.19%).

Seattle relies heavily on hydropower and only uses fossil fuels for a very small percentage of its electricity.

3. New York City, New York

Despite being one of the biggest and busiest cities in the world, New York takes third place.

NYC was the top-scoring city for not one, not two, but three factors: sustainable hotels, people walking or using public transportation, and length of cycle paths.

The sheer size of the Big Apple has forced it to tackle its carbon footprint head-on, investing in a comprehensive public transport network, constructing green office buildings and pledging to drastically reduce emissions.

The research also revealed the least sustainable US cities

Rank	City	% of Sustainable Hotels	% of people who walk, cycle or use public transport to work	Renewable Energy as % of total consumption	Average Annual Air Pollution (μg/m³)	Artificial Brightness (μcd/m2)	Carbon Footprint per person (t CO2)	Miles of Cycle Paths	Congestion Level	Score /10
1	Nashville	2.20%	11.1%	8.8%	14.3	8,780	17.6	0.60	19%	3.46
2	Columbus	5.14%	11.2%	4.4%	13.6	10,000	19.8	1.40	13%	3.67
3	Dallas	1.96%	11.0%	7.5%	11.8	12,500	16.5	2.90	17%	3.79
3	Houston	2.14%	10.1%	7.5%	11.1	12,300	14.6	0.75	20%	3.79
5	Indianapolis	2.01%	7.7%	6.7%	12.4	9,620	20.6	13.75	12%	3.87
6	Philadelphia	3.82%	39.7%	6.1%	11.5	12,200	19.5	4.96	22%	3.92
7	Chicago	5.44%	41.6%	7.3%	13.4	17,900	21.1	27.29	24%	4.04
8	Baltimore	6.20%	29.3%	5.9%	11.5	13,400	20.2	1.00	15%	4.13
9	Tampa	2.82%	12.5%	7.2%	9.2	10,700	15.3	0.70	21%	4.17
10	Cincinnati	4.13%	17.9%	4.4%	11.7	7,530	22.6	2.20	14%	4.21