{"id":507628,"date":"2026-10-25T16:52:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T16:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/507628\/"},"modified":"2026-10-25T16:52:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T16:52:11","slug":"best-big-cities-in-us-bay-area-san-diego-ca-ranked-top-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/507628\/","title":{"rendered":"Best big cities in US? Bay Area, San Diego CA ranked top 10"},"content":{"rendered":"

Planning a trip? California is home to three of the nation\u2019s best big cities, according to Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler.<\/p>\n

Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler readers recently picked the top 10 best large cities in the United States<\/a> in 2026, highlighting destinations with top-notch restaurant, bar and hotel scenes.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo beyond what you might expect, and you\u2019ll find some surprising gems that are always a good idea for a reason.\u201d the publication said.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s where to go for the \u201cbest travel experiences\u201d in 2026:<\/p>\n

\"San San Francisco was named among the best large cities in the United States in 2026 by Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler. Todd Taylor What was the best big city in California?<\/p>\n

Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler readers named San Francisco the second-best big city in the United States.<\/p>\n

The Bay Area hotspot was the highest ranked California city on the list.<\/p>\n

San Francisco \u201cpacks a punch\u201d with attractions ranging from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art<\/a> and the Mission District<\/a> to the nearby Muir Woods National Monument<\/a>, Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler said.<\/p>\n

\"The The Golden Gate Bridge and the bay of San Francisco, seen from Lands End. Getty Images <\/p>\n

\u201cAdd in some of the best restaurants and bars in the world and a hotel scene that truly has something for everyone, and you\u2019ll likely find that one visit to the city by the bay just isn\u2019t enough,\u201d the travel magazine said.<\/p>\n

Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler also highlighted local landmarks such as Alcatraz Island<\/a>, a former fort, military prison and federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay, and the Golden Gate Bridge,<\/a> a 1.7-mile span connecting San Francisco to Marin County.<\/p>\n

When the bridge opened in 1937, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world,<\/p>\n

It\u2019s \u201cone of the most beloved bridges in the world,\u201d according to the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.<\/p>\n

\"Balboa Balboa Park in San Diego. Getty Images Which California cities made the 2026 list?<\/p>\n

Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler highlighted two other California cities on its 2026 list on the nation\u2019s best large cities \u2014 including Oakland, which was No. 6.<\/p>\n

\u201cOakland is still a Black city that embraces its history and community with open arms,\u201d the travel publication said. \u201cThat theme is on display thanks to Black business owners who passed down storefronts to children and grandchildren, and a style of dance and music, TURFing, that can only be experienced in Oakland.\u201d<\/p>\n

West Oakland, nicknamed the \u201cHarlem of the West,<\/a>\u201d once hosted musicians such as Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday and Big Mama Thornton and served as the headquarters for the Black Panther Party, according to Visit Oakland.<\/p>\n

You can take the Black Liberation Walking Tour<\/a>, or explore the Continental Club<\/a> and the African American Museum and Library at Oakland<\/a>.<\/p>\n

San Diego was No. 10 on Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler\u2019s top 10 list of the best large cities in the United States.<\/p>\n

Due to its new hotels and food scene, \u201cSan Diego has officially stepped out from the shadow of its big sister to the north, earning world-class destination status that goes well beyond the waves,\u201d Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler said.<\/p>\n

New and restored hotels<\/a> in the Southern California city include the Double Tree by Hilton San Diego Bayside<\/a>, the Fairmont Grand Del Mar<\/a> and The Bower Coronado<\/a>, according to The San Diego Tourism Authority.<\/p>\n

Five San Diego restaurants have been awarded Michelin Guide stars<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also \u201cone of the top craft-brew destinations in the nation, and boasts a thriving local wine region<\/a>,\u201d the tourism authority said.<\/p>\n

What are the top 10 large cities in the US?<\/p>\n

Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler ranked these large cities in the United States as the best in 2026:<\/p>\n

ChicagoSan FranciscoBostonNew York CityMilwaukeeOaklandPortlandNashvilleNew OrleansSan DiegoHow did Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler rank major cities?<\/p>\n

Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler readers ranked the best cities in the United States and the world<\/a> as part of the 39th Reader\u2019s Choice Awards<\/a>, casting a total of 798,867 votes<\/p>\n

\u201cAll winners were independently selected by our readers,\u201d the travel magazine said.<\/p>\n

Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler readers also picked the best spa resorts<\/a>, cruise lines<\/a> and hotels<\/a> in the world.<\/p>\n

Loading\u2026<\/p>\n

Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Alexiah Syrai Olsen<\/a><\/p>\n

The Tribune<\/p>\n

Alexiah Syrai Olsen is a service journalism reporter for The Tribune in San Luis Obispo, California. She earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in journalism and design from The New School in New York City.\u00a0\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Planning a trip? California is home to three of the nation\u2019s best big cities, according to Cond\u00e9 Nast…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":507629,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8],"class_list":["post-507628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/507628","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=507628"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/507628\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/507629"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=507628"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=507628"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=507628"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}