Chicago Was Just Named the Safest U.S. Destination for LGBTQ+ Travelers

• Chicago has been ranked the safest city for LGBTQ+ travelers.
• Other top cities included Seattle and San Francisco.
• The report was published by Misterb&b, which operates travel services and accommodations for LGBTQ+ travelers.

A new report is providing important safety insights for LGBTQ+ travelers.

Chicago was recently determined as the safest city for LGBTQ+ travelers in the United States. The findings are revealed in the 2025 Misterb&b’s Queer Safety Index, which provides a ranking based on potential legislative risks, local rights protections, and hate crime reports filed with the FBI to determine the safest cities.

Chicago is home to several LGBTQ+ neighborhoods including Northalsted, Andersonville, and Uptown. The Chicago Tourism Board, Choose Chicago, reveals that Chicago is home to the first official gay neighborhood in the United States.

Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, and San Diego rounded out the top five. Other top cities for high LGBTQ+ safety included Honolulu, Denver, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, and Palm Springs. The full ranking is available on misterbandb.com, which operates a travel site offering accommodations and home-sharing for LGBTQ+ travelers.

“To compile this index, [M]isterb&b’s data scientists looked at what cities and places are the most booked, and safest for LGBTQ people, and predict these will be the 30 safest cities for U.S. LGBTQ+ folks this year,” a Misterb&b spokesperson told Travel + Leisure.

According to a May 2024 ranking of international destinations safe for LGBTQ+ travelers, five countries tied for first place: Canada, Malta, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain. The report also ranked U.S. states for LGTBQ+ safety, with New York, California, and Colorado taking the top three spots.

Safety guides provide clarity and insights from publicly available data to help travelers make informed decisions on safe travel destinations.

For example, Iceland was recently ranked as the safest destination for international travel by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection. Australia, Canada, Ireland, and Switzerland rounded out the top five in that report which analyzed crime rates, crowding levels, and peace/safety indexes.