Driest Cities in the US

75 major US metros, ranked by annual precipitation — from the 1991–2020 climate normals. Every city links to its full climate profile.

The driest major city in the US is Las Vegas, NV, at 4.2 in annual precipitation. Phoenix, AZ ranks second at 7.2 in. Below, all 75 metros are ranked — tap any city to open its month-by-month climate, rainfall, and temperature records.

Driest US cities — top 30

  1. 1Las Vegas, NV4.2 in
  2. 2Phoenix, AZ7.2 in
  3. 3Albuquerque, NM8.8 in
  4. 4Mission Viejo, CA10.7 in
  5. 5Riverside, CA10.7 in
  6. 6Fresno, CA11.0 in
  7. 7San Diego, CA11.5 in
  8. 8Los Angeles, CA13.4 in
  9. 9San Jose, CA13.5 in
  10. 10Denver, CO15.4 in
  11. 11Salt Lake City, UT15.5 in
  12. 12Colorado Springs, CO15.9 in
  13. 13Ogden, UT16.4 in
  14. 14Provo, UT17.2 in
  15. 15Sacramento, CA19.2 in
  16. 16San Francisco, CA22.9 in
  17. 17McAllen, TX24.0 in
  18. 18Detroit, MI29.9 in
  19. 19Minneapolis, MN31.6 in
  20. 20Omaha, NE31.9 in
  21. 21San Antonio, TX32.4 in
  22. 22Milwaukee, WI34.6 in
  23. 23Grand Rapids, MI35.1 in
  24. 24Rochester, NY35.1 in
  25. 25Austin, TX36.3 in
  26. 26Oklahoma City, OK36.4 in
  27. 27Seattle, WA36.5 in
  28. 28Des Moines, IA36.6 in
  29. 29Portland, OR36.9 in
  30. 30Chicago, IL37.9 in

How the driest cities compare

Across the 75 largest US metros with full climate records, annual precipitation ranges from 4.2 in in Las Vegas, NV down to 67.4 in in Miami, FL — the top of the opposite extreme. The bars above are scaled to that spread, so the gap between the leader and the pack is visible at a glance.

Precipitation totals are 1991–2020 normals — the average annual total across that 30-year window, including the liquid equivalent of snow — so they describe a typical year rather than one unusually wet or dry season. The ranking covers the largest U.S. metros only.

Frequently asked

What is the driest city in the US?
Among the 75 major US metros in this ranking, Las Vegas, NV is the driest, with 4.2 in annual precipitation based on the 1991–2020 climate normals. Phoenix, AZ is second at 7.2 in. Each city in the list links to its full climate profile.
How is the driest city ranked?
Cities are ranked by annual precipitation (in inches), lowest first. The figures come from the 1991–2020 climate normals, computed from ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo. It covers 75 of the largest US cities, not every town in the country.
How does Las Vegas compare to the rest of the list?
Las Vegas, NV tops the list at 4.2 in annual precipitation, while Miami, FL sits at the other end with 67.4 in. The gap between them shows how wide the spread is across major US cities. Click any city to see its month-by-month climate, rainfall, and temperature records.
Which US city gets the least rain?
Among the major metros ranked here, Las Vegas, NV is the driest, averaging just 4.2 in of total annual precipitation. Driest cities are concentrated in the arid Southwest, where the climate normals show months of near-zero rainfall — see each city's rainfall-by-month chart for the seasonal pattern.

More US climate rankings

Or browse every city’s full profile in the city climate hub — weather by month, rainfall, all-time records, and the warming trend for 75 major US metros.