Visit any big city, and chances are good you’ll find a Starbucks. (Or. let’s face it, several.) After all, the ubiquitous coffee chain now has an estimated 16,400 locations around the United States as of 2024, courtesy of data from ScrapeHero.
And hey, I just called it a coffee chain, but let’s be real – Starbucks is so much more than “just” coffee these days. You can see all of its menu options (plus all kinds of ways you can customize for diets including Keto and low-sodium), and at this point Starbucks seemingly has something for everyone.
But if you’re lucky enough to live in one of these ten cities, you’ll find Starbucks VERY easy to access – because they really ARE everywhere:
San Antonio is one of those cities I think people forget about just because it isn’t iconic in the same way that NYC, LA, Chicago, and San Francisco are. (And, let’s face it, everyone knows about Dallas because we’ve all flown through at least once.) But let’s face it – San Antonio is actually the second-largest city in Texas (behind Houston, #4 on the list), and it’s actually a surprisingly important place! Both USAA (a beloved insurance company, if you can believe it) and Whataburger (the much-loved Texas chain) are headquartered there. Plus, 85 individual Starbucks locations. I feel like San Antonio is to Texas as the caramel latte is to Starbucks – people forget about it, but it’s actually awesome. And that’s a shame! So go check out San Antonio and the caramel latte. (But if you’re visiting Texas in the summer, get it iced.)
Like I mentioned above, I think most folks have only experienced Dallas via the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, and that’s a bit of a shame. Dallas is genuinely one of the coolest places in the American Southwest, with more than 300 music venues and 10 annual film festivals. Oh, and did I mention that Southwest is headquartered there? In honor of its no-nonsense attitude, I declare the flat white to be the coffee drink everyone should have in honor of Dallas and its 95 Starbucks locations – so drink up, and enjoy!
No surprise that Seattle is on the list – and probably no surprise that it’s also one of the smallest cities on this list, with about 734,000 residents and 95 Starbucks (the same number as Dallas, with its 1.3 million locals). Why’s that? Well, because Starbucks was founded – and remains headquartered – in Seattle! So of course there will be lots of extra Starbucks there. The only surprise to me is that Seattle doesn’t crack the “100 Starbucks in the city” club – especially given how cold and rainy the Pacific Northwest is. Feels to me like exactly the kind of place you’d want to enjoy a steaming hot cup of milk tea while watching the rain, safely ensconced in a comfy armchair with a blanket and a book.
This surprised me at first. I mean, listen, we all know that Pheonix is large and growing rapidly as more and more people relocate to take advantage of the dry heat – but it’s just so dang hot; who would want coffee? Oh, right – iced coffee. I feel like Starbucks’ shaken espresso OR one of its refreshers (my personal favorite? The Paradise Drink – pineapple + coconut milk + passionfruit is just perfection) would be just the thing to get as you contemplate the cacti and prepare for yet another 100+ degree day…and you can travel to any of 117 different Starbucks locations to find it!
There’s nothing like sipping on something tropical while laying out on the beach on another perfect 80 degree day. Maybe you’re having one of Southern California’s famous burritos (stuffed with fries and carne asada) while you contemplate all the right life choices you made to get here. I dunno. Anyway, I’ve been to San Diego a bunch of times, and it is THE perfect place to enjoy a Starbucks refresher. (You can also make your own at home – like the guava passionfruit drink or matcha pineapple.) And that’s why it’s no surprise that San Diego – which is also one of the largest cities in the USA – has a whopping 134 Starbucks for locals and tourists to enjoy. Sometimes it feels like every exit off the 5 (that’s I-5 to non-locals) has a Starbucks on it, and you can see why.
LA is more of a “hot coffee” kinda place than San Diego. That’s in part because the weather is a bit colder, and in large part because it’s just got so much more of a driven, big-city feel. A big part of that is all the companies that are headquartered there. Here are just a few: Activision Blizzard Dreamworks Animation Hulu Herbalife Trader Joe’s (!) Panda Express Forever 21 Warner Bros So take a minute and enjoy life. (And since you’re in Southern California, do it with a little local flair, like a horchata frappuccino.)
Yes, it’s Texas again – but this time, it’s Texas’ largest city. Houston is closely associated with the oil and natural gas industries (which are big in Texas), which is why ExxonMobil, Phillips 66, ConocoPhillips, Occidental Petroleum, Cheniere Energy, Kinder Morgan all have a major presence there. But Houston is also so much more than that. Houston has the Space Center, an amazing Museum of Natural Science, and a wonderful Contemporary Arts Museum. It’s a great place to take the kids. And while you’re there, you can easily check out one of its 162 Starbucks locations and make sure you get something for yourself. (Feeling indulgent? Maybe an Irish Cream cold brew?)
Every time I go to Chicago it feels like there’s a Starbucks on every corner. (Ok, fine, sometimes it’s a Dunkin. But mostly it’s a Starbucks.) Well, now I have proof – the aptly-named Windy City has a whopping 187 Starbucks locations! And given how cold AND busy Chicago is – it’s no surprise! If you’ve never been to Chicago in the winter…well, just don’t do it. Try San Diego instead, you’ll thank me. But if you ARE in Chicago in January (and I have been)…then treat yourself to something warm and indulgent. Maybe an eggnog latte.
I feel like the fact that New York has the most Starbucks in the country is a shocker to precisely zero people. (In fact, the most shocking thing to me is that it only boasts one more Starbucks location than Chicago – clocking in at 188 total.) After all, New York is the center of Wall Street, the investment banks (with their famous 90+ hour workweeks), several large healthcare companies, and more. Genuinely, it’s the city that never sleeps. So here’s to you, New York. Enjoy the caffeine, but make sure you take a minute to stop and smell the roses every now and then.
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