The more jaded travelers among us might say nobody travels anymore; they just go places to collect content for their Instagrams. Which, for a large segment of the population, is probably true. Such is travel in 2019, where the popularity of both people and places is largely gauged on the ‘gram. While we’re not going to pass judgment on any national park, sandy beach, or mouse-eared theme park based on the number of hashtags it got in 2018, Play Picks is happy to do so. The sports-betting tips site that may or may not prognosticate by hashtag found the most Instagrammed locations in America last year. And surprise, surprise, California and Florida dominate the top 20.
Photo: Jon Bilous/Shutterstock
These Are the Most Instagrammed Places in America
20. Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach, California
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Number of hashtags: 1,963,943
This would have easily surpassed Long Beach if Steven, Talan, Kristin, and LC had Instagram back in the day. Or if anyone who uses Instagram was old enough to remember this show.
19. Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
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Number of hashtags: 1,988,840
Wanna win some free drinks tonight? Ask a group of New Yorkers what’s the most Instagrammed beach outside California and Florida. When they refuse to believe it’s not some beach in the Hamptons nobody outside of New York has ever heard of, bet them a round then pull up this story.
18. Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach, California
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Number of hashtags: 2,168,437
Surf City, USA, accounted for over two million Instagram posts last year. You might credit its sparkling new food hall at Lot 579, or the redeveloped downtown Main Street, or maybe even the bizarre beachfront oil refinery on the city’s southern border. But we all know HB’s Insta-stardom can be summed up in two words: dog surfing.
17. Newport Beach
Newport Beach, California
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Number of hashtags: 2,198,907
Lazy, sunny Sunday afternoons strolling out the Newport Pier or bar-hopping from Beach Ball to Malarky’s to Blackie’s before finally ending up, like everyone else, at Cassidy’s probably account for why this is the most Instagrammed beach in the OC. Though frozen bananas are probably what pushes it over the top.
16. Palm Beach
Palm Beach, Florida
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Number of hashtags: 2,226,845
Deleted, late-night posts from Mar-a-Lago not included.
15. Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco, California
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Number of hashtags: 2,253,270
If you feel like seeing how your Insta skills stack up to the other 2.2 million people taking pictures of America’s most famous bridge, might we suggest taking a trip to the best roadside viewpoint in California at Battery Spencer Overlook? Just north of the bridge, you’ll find a road on the left that winds its way up the hills with dramatic viewpoints of the Golden Gate, the San Francisco skyline, and all of San Francisco Bay.
14. Yosemite National Park
Mariposa, California
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Number of hashtags: 2,310,940
Just hope all those people who saw Free Solo realize exactly zero of these selfies are from Alex Honnold while he was climbing El Capitan. But someone won’t.
13. Key West
Key West, Florida
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Number of hashtags: 2,475,318
Fantasy Fest, the annual Halloween party where “nothing” constitutes a perfectly acceptable Halloween costume, is the single-most hashtagged event of the year in Florida’s quirky little island at the end of US-1. Because some things can never be unseen, it’s probably best viewed in Instagram too.
12. Santa Barbara Beach
Santa Barbara, California
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Number of hashtags: 2,642,067
Some consider Santa Barbara the most perfect place in America, with all the perfect Southern California weather that makes people flock to LA — without all the people who flock to LA. The only reason it doesn’t rate higher is that the city is full of charming Spanish architecture, wine country, and fabulous restaurants, so sometimes the beach gets left behind.
11. Epcot, Walt Disney World
Orlando, Florida
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Number of hashtags: 2,800,199
This might actually rank higher than the Magic Kingdom if all the people who took selfies in front of the Eiffel Tower actually admitted it was in Central Florida.
10. The Grand Canyon
Arizona
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Number of hashtags: 2,868,557
This works out to roughly two hashtags per acre in massive Grand Canyon National Park. Or 1,505 per square mile. Or two per foot along its 277-miles. But you know what? They’re ALL in the exact spot you’re trying to take a picture from at the South Rim.
9. Venice Beach
Los Angeles, California
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Number of hashtags: 3,186,917
Sure, you can see Venice’s skaters, bodybuilders, street performers, and sunsets on Instagram. But the thick scent of weed in the air? That you can only experience by checking out the real thing.
8. Times Square
New York, New York
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Number of hashtags: 3,299,046
If you’re a city worker that’s ever tried to walk up Broadway during the middle of the day, this seems like about one hashtag for every person stopping to take a selfie by the M&M’s store when you’re rushing to get back from lunch.
7. Santa Cruz Beach
Santa Cruz, California
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Number of hashtags: 3,597,629
Though Santa Cruz might arguably be California’s most photogenic beach, what with its mountains, boardwalk, and iconic roller coaster bumping right up on the Pacific Ocean, it may also rate this high because people insist on trying to sneak pictures of pencils rolling uphill at the Mystery Spot.
6. Coachella
Indio, California
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Number of hashtags: 4,061,540
Approximately 3,985,837 of these are of Beyoncé. The rest are of people looking for water.
5. Long Beach
Long Beach, California
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Number of hashtags: 4,551,339
Why did Long Beach, ahead of the seemingly endless array of Southern California beaches, rate tops in the whole state? Well, you don’t see people posting videos of themselves busting a left at 21 and Lewis in Redondo, now do you? And the Eastside Motel is nowhere near Malibu.
4. Central Park
New York, New York
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Number of hashtags: 6,105,544
“The featuring of Central Park within the top ten highlights the endless appeal of natural beauty for travelers to share,” a spokesperson from Play Picks said. Because there really is nothing like the soothing, back-to-nature appeal of a perfectly manicured pretzel cart.
3. Miami Beach
Miami, Florida
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Number of hashtags: 8,673,724
When a city’s most occupation of people under 30 seems to be “Instagram influencer,” it’s no surprise it rates just behind Disney World as the most Instagrammed place in Florida.
2. Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World
Orlando, Florida
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Number of hashtags: 9, 400,298
Either Disney World has seriously cracked down on smartphone use after that unfortunate last scene of Florida Project, or Floridians are too busy hashtagging themselves in alligator jaw selfies to hit up the theme parks. Either way, the Sunshine State’s Disney World was a distant second to its California older brother. Though to be fair, their stats were split up between all of their many properties.
1. Disneyland
Anaheim, California
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Number of hashtags: 19,783,733
No stats were given on how many of these were disgruntled parents posting pictures captioned, “Here’s what a $25 hamburger looks like #Disneyland.” But since the happiest place on Earth got 18.3 million visitors last year, many of whom were too young to have Instagram, all signs point to lots of kids posting pictures with every. Damn. Character. 