Las Vegas is officially one of the hottest cities on TikTok — ranking fourth in the U.S. for total views generated across popular city hashtags.

A recent study by student travel company Rustic Pathways analyzed TikTok data from the 50 most populated U.S. cities and revealed fascinating insights about where social media attention is concentrated.

Las Vegas TikTok stats at a glance

• 96.8 billion total views across 6.9 million posts tagged #lasvegas or #vegas
• Average views per post: 14,021 (higher than Los Angeles)
• Population: approximately 661,000

Las Vegas stands out as the only Western city in the top five, fueled by viral content about the famous Las Vegas Strip, casinos, entertainment, and renowned dining options. Despite having fewer total posts than bigger cities, Las Vegas videos receive more views per post than Los Angeles, showcasing its strong social media pull.

The top five most popular U.S. cities on TikTok

Rank	City	Population	Hashtags	TikTok Posts	TikTok Views
1	New York City	8,258,035	#nyc, #newyork	26,039,085	419.7 billion
2	Los Angeles	3,820,914	#losangeles, #la	19,196,220	226.1 billion
3	Miami	455,924	#miami, #miamibeach	10,311,636	157.3 billion
4	Las Vegas	660,929	#lasvegas, #vegas	6,904,146	96.8 billion
5	Chicago	2,664,452	#chicago, #windycity	8,236,141	92.1 billion

Other insights

• New York City dominates, generating nearly 420 billion views — 85% more than second-place Los Angeles.
• Miami averages 15,256 views per post, more than both Las Vegas and Los Angeles, thanks to its beaches and nightlife appeal.
• Chicago rounds out the top five with 92 billion views across 8.2 million posts, highlighting its rich cultural and sports scenes.
• Colorado Springs ranks last among the 50 cities, with just 1.2 billion views, 99% less than New York City, likely due to lower tourist interest.

What this means for travel and marketing

Shayne Fitz-Coy, CEO of Rustic Pathways, notes,

“These findings highlight the significant influence social media now has on travel destination choices. Cities generating billions of views on TikTok benefit from organic, user-generated content showcasing their unique appeal. What’s interesting is how TikTok views don’t always correlate with population size. Miami and Las Vegas are punching well above their weight, showing strong appeal as travel destinations.”

Why Las Vegas punches above its weight on TikTok

• Iconic attractions like the Strip and major casinos
• High volume of entertainment and nightlife content creators
• Vibrant food scene and luxury experiences
• Strong tourism industry fueling ongoing fresh content

For brands and marketers, understanding these social media hotspots is key to targeting audiences where they’re actively engaging and dreaming about travel.