Top 10 filming locations in the USA

The USA is the most filmed place in the world. This is no wonder since America is full of beauty and adventure! Just like Hollywood & Co., we can't get enough of the United States, so today, we're going to show you the top 10 filming locations in the USA!

#1. New York City

If you love watching American movies and series, you might already know New York City better than your hometown. You can't blame the directors because the Big Apple is a sensational and exciting place!

New York City as a filming location for movies and series.

Some of the most legendary films and series made in New York City include Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), West Side Story (1961), Harry and Sally (1989), Friends (1994 - 2004), Godzilla (1998), Sex and the City (1998 - 2004), and The Devil Wears Prada (2006).

The most filmed locations in New York City are:

  • Central Park: e.g., Spider-Man 3, John Wick, or The Devil's Hand
  • Times Square: e.g., The Devil Wears Prada, Spider-Man, or Taxi Driver
  • The Waldorf-Astoria: e.g., Catch Me If You Can, Godfather 3, The Great Gatsby, Manhattan Love Story
  • Williamsburg: e.g., School of Rock, John Adams, American Gangster, John Wick
  • Greenwich Village: e.g., 13 Going on 30, Julie & Julia, and I Am Legend

Another New York filming location with true cult potential is the legendary Empire State Building. The mega skyscraper has been a popular destination for Hollywood producers since the 1930s and has been featured in over 200 films and series. The most famous scene is undoubtedly from 1933, when the giant ape King Kong climbed the Empire State Building.

#2. Los Angeles

In the ranking of the most filmed cities in the USA, Los Angeles is way out in front, and the best film production companies worldwide are based in and around Hollywood!

Los Angeles as a filming location for movies and series

Among the most legendary movies and series filmed in Los Angeles are Point Break (1991), Beverly Hills Cop (1984 - 1994), Beverly Hills 90210 (1990 - 2000), Clueless (1995), Minority Report (2002), Inception (2010), and Drive (2011).

The most filmed locations in Los Angeles are:

  • Venice Beach: e.g., The Big Lebowski and American Pie
  • UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles): e.g., Erin Brockovich and Scream 2
  • Hollywood Boulevard: e.g., The Italian Job, Twilight Boulevard, Muppet Movie

#3. Atlanta

Watch out, Hollywood! Did you know you could meet loads of movie stars in Atlanta? The region in the US state of Georgia has evolved a lot in recent years towards a nicer, more affordable Hollywood.

Atlanta in Georgia as a filming location for movies and series.

More than 700 films and series have been produced in the "Hollywood of the South." They include, for example, The Walking Dead (2010 - 2022), The Hunger Games (2014 - 2015), Stranger Things (2016 - 2022), and Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017).

#4. Chicago

Chicago can compete with its big brother New York regarding movie appearances! The Windy City has hosted legendary films and series, including The Blues Brothers (1980), Home Alone (1990), Groundhog Day (1993), High Fidelity (2000), The Dark Knight (2008), Shameless (2011 - 2021), Transformers (2014), and Ocean's Eleven (2001).

Chicago as a filming location for movies and series

#5. San Francisco

California has made it into the top 10 US film locations more than once. With its hilly streets, sights such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, and colorful residential areas like the Painted Ladies, San Francisco appears in countless films and series.

San Francisco as a filming location for movies and series

If you want to take a look at Frisco without leaving your couch, we recommend movies and series like Dirty Harry (1971-1988), 48 Hours (1982), Big Trouble in Little China (1986), Full House (1987-1995), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), The Rock (1996), and Pacific Heights (1990).

#6. Niagara Falls

The Niagara Falls, on the border between Canada and New York State, are the setting for a wide variety of film genres - from comedy to drama to romance.

San Francisco as a filming location for movies and series

Among the best-known films and series in which the Niagara Falls make a major appearance are Superman II (1980), Bruce Almighty (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean 3 (2007), WALL-E (2008), The Office (2009, season 6), and Sharknado 2 (2014).

#7. Monument Valley

Monument Valley in the US state of Arizona was already regularly used as a film set half a century ago, and that's only understandable: the mystical atmosphere of the red Martian landscape with its unusually shaped rocks has a magical appeal!

Monument Valley as a filming location for movies and series

You can see Monument Valley in movies and series such as Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Easy Rider (1969), Back to the Future III (1990), Forrest Gump (1994), Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), Doctor Who: The Impossible Astronaut (2011), and Day of the Moon (2011), among others.

#8. Boston

Boston, Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States, is not only home to famous sports clubs and universities but also serves as the perfect setting for movies and series of all types and eras with its picturesque historical backdrop.

Boston as a location for films and series

Some of the most famous movies and series filmed in Boston include Good Will Hunting (1997), Ally McBeal (1997 - 2002), The Departed (2006), Gone Baby Gone (2007), Shutter Island (2010), The Social Network (2010), and Ted (2012).

#9. Philadelphia

Philadelphia is a real surprise in the top 10 most popular US movie locations! Did you know that over 130 movies and more than 60 series were filmed here?

Philadelphia as a filming location for movies and series

Among the most famous works from "Philly" are, for example, Rocky (1976 - 2006), Blow Out (1981), Philadelphia (1993), 12 Monkeys (1995), The Sixth Sense (1999), Cold Case (2003 - 2010), The Italian Job (2003), Jersey Girl (2004), Invincible (2006), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), and Limitless (2011).

#10. Big Bear Lake

Big Bear Lake is a popular summer and winter sports area in California and is located on the southern shore of the lake of the same name. Big Bear became famous primarily as a haven for movie stars and the Hollywood elite. Today, this area is still a prime filming location, attracting television and film crews worldwide.

Big Bear Lake in California as a filming location for movies and series

Some of the most famous movies and series filmed in Big Bear Lake include Gone with the Wind (1939), War Games (1983), MacGyver (1985 - 1992), The King of Queens (1998 - 2007), The Insider (1999), Dr. Doolittle II (2001), Magnolia (1999), Beethoven's 3 (2000), and Grey's Anatomy (2005 - 2022).

Movies and series from all US states

You probably already know the most popular film locations in the USA inside out. But have you ever taken a movie trip to the swamps of Arkansas? Or a series trip to good old Maryland?

If you want to get to know the USA but don't feel like leaving your couch, treat yourself to our favorite movies and series from every state in the US!

  • Movies and series from Alabama: Sweet Home Alabama, Hart of Dixie, The devil all the time

  • Movies and series from Alaska: Northern Exposure, Men in Trees

  • Movies and series from Arizona: Arizona Junior, The Addams Family 2, Easy Rider, Forrest Gump, Godzilla: Final Wars

  • Movies and series from Arkansas: Ozark, Daddy and them, Paradise Lost, Thelma & Louise, Walk the Line

  • Movies and series from Colorado: Things to do in Denver when you’re dead, Dynasty, Our Souls At Night, The A-Team (Film), About Schmidt, Doctor Sleep, Dumb & Dumber

  • Movies and series from Connecticut: Christmas in Connecticut, Atypical, Amistad, Beetlejuice, Gothika, The Stepford Wives

  • Movies and series from Delaware: Delaware Shore, And never let her go, Blue Ruin, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Survival of the Dead

  • Movies and series from Florida: Miami Vice, Dexter, Bloodline, Godzilla vs. Kong, Men in Black 3

  • Movies and series from Georgia: Atlanta, The Walking Dead, Atlanta Medical, Lost in Traplanta, The Fundamentals of caring

  • Movies and series from Hawaii: Hawaii Five-0, ALOHA, Godzilla (Film, 2014)

  • Movies and series from Idaho: My own private Idaho, Among Ravens, Thanksgiving Family Reunion, Napoleon Dynamite

  • Movies and series from Illinois: Chicago, Due South, Shameless, Roseanne, Baby´s Day Out, Save the last dance

  • Movies and series from Indiana: Indianapolis, Stranger Things, The Middle, Parks and Recreation, Now and Then, In & Out

  • Movies and series from Iowa: Gilbert Grape, The Bridges of Madison County, The Final Season

  • Movies and series from California: The Streets of San Francisco, Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, New Girl, Six Feet Under, Big Little Lies, Monk, Grace and Frankie, Full House

  • Movies and series from Kansas: Kansas, The Wizard of Oz, Capote (Film), Critters, Dances with Wolves

  • Movies and series from Kentucky: Elizabethtown, Dreamer, Where Hope Grows, Goldfinger

  • Movies and series from Louisiana: The Big Easy, Dream Boy, Tall Girl, Same kind of different as me, Straight A's

  • Movies and series from Maine: Manchester by the Sea, Under the Dome, Olive Kitteridge, Haven, Vacationland

  • Movies and series from Maryland: Maryland, The Wire, Another Happy Day, Joan of Arcadia, I used to be darker, Rawley High

  • Movies and series from Massachusetts: Boston Legal, Fringe, Tough Guys Don´t Dance, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Rizzoli & Isles, Ted

  • Movies and series from Michigan: Detroit, Ome Improvement, Good Girls, Battle Creek, The Virgin Suicides

  • Movies and series from Minnesota: Feeling Minnesota (1996), Fargo, Grumpy Old Men, Millennium

  • Movies and series from Mississippi: Almost Famous, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Deadpool 2, Django Unchained, Ghosts of Mississippi, Green Book, The Insider, X-Men

  • Movies and series from Missouri: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Kansas City, Bonnie and Clyde, Rain Man
  • Movies and series from Montana: Montana, Evel Knievel, The Horse Whisperer, Jurassic Park, The Revenant

  • Movies and series from Nebraska: Children of the Corn, Halloween III, Nebraska

  • Movies and series from Nevada: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Leaving Las Vegas, Ocean’s Eleven, The Godfather, Mars Attacks!

  • Movies and series from New Hampshire: Hotel New Hampshire, An American Christmas, Carol, Jumanji

  • Movies and series from New Jersey: Jersey Girl, Sopranos, Garden State

  • Movies and series from New Mexico: Roswell, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, High School Musical, Billy The Kid

  • Movies and series from New York: Gangs of New York, How I met your Mother, Suits, King of Queens, FAME, Breakfast at Tiffanys, Manhattan Love Story, Sex and the City, Friends with Benefits

  • Movies and series from North Carolina: Cold Mountain, One Tree Hill, The Secret Life of Bees

  • Movies and series from North Dakota: Fargo, Iron Will

  • Movies and series from Ohio: Hot in Cleveland, Captain America, Fahrenheit 451, Scooby-Doo

  • Movies and series from Oklahoma: Oklahoma!, Bonnie and Clyde, Footloose, Ghostbusters: Legacy, Hair

  • Movies and series from Oregon: Salem, Bates Motel, The Shack, I don't feel at home in this world anymore, Goonies

  • Movies and series from Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Banshee, The Office (US)

  • Movies and series from Rhode Island: Providence, Amityville: Evil Never Dies, The Witches of Eastwick

  • Movies and series from South Carolina: Milltown Pride, The Big Chill, The Water is wide

  • Movies and series from South Dakota: Deadwood, Nomadland

  • Movies and series from Tennessee: Nashville, Greenleaf, I Walk the Line, Iron Man 3

  • Movies and series from Texas: Paris, Texas Dallas Buyers Club, Dallas, Preacher, Young Sheldon, 6 Years, Hope Floats

  • Movies and series from Utah: Grand Canyon, Big Love 3, Wives, One Husband

  • Movies and series from Vermont: Moonlight in Vermont, Hope Springs, Super Troopers

  • Movies and series froms Virginia: Vampire Diaries, Die Hard 2, Donnie Darko, Lassie (Film, 1994)

  • Movies and series from Washington: Sleepless in Seattle, Outside In, Free Willy

  • Movies and series from West Virginia: West Virginia Stories, Dear Wendy, American Ultra, Patch Adams

  • Movies and series from Wisconsin: Oconomowoc, Give Me Liberty, That ´70s Show

  • Movies and series from Wyoming: Land, Django Unchained, Dances with Wolves
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