Country guide · North America
United States travel guide: visa, best time, weather and plugs
Entry rules for every passport, the best months to go, live weather, public holidays and the plug you need for the United States. Capital: Washington D.C..
Do you need a visa for the United States?
It depends on your passport. Of the 198 other passports in our data, 4 passports can enter the United States without a visa and 42 more get a visa on arrival or an eTA.
All 198 passports for United States · Visa checker · Passport validity checker for United States
United States at a glance
- Capital
- Washington D.C.
- Region
- North America, North America
- Currency
- United States dollar ($, USD)
- Languages
- English
- Calling code
- +1
- Drives on the
- right
- Power
- Type A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz
Best time to visit United States
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. Shoulder seasons in most regions.
General guidance on weather, crowds and wildlife, not a forecast. The chart below shows what the weather actually did last year.
Weather in Washington D.C.
Month by month last year
- Daily high and low (°C), monthly average
- Rain (mm in the month)
Next public holidays in United States
Nationwide holidays only, from Nager.Date. Check dates locally before you book: they can move.
Power plugs and voltage in United States
- Type Atwo flat pins
- Type Btwo flat pins and a round earth pin
Mains power is 120 V at 60 Hz. Phone and laptop chargers usually accept 100 to 240 V, so they only need the right plug. Hair dryers, kettles and other single-voltage appliances need a matching voltage or a converter.
Do I need an adapter for the United States?
Hand-curated, so a good first answer: confirm before you fly.
More before you go
- Passport validity. Many countries want 3 to 6 months of validity left. Check your dates for United States or read the six-month rule explained.
- Other places you can go. Where can I go? lists the places your passport reaches that are also in season, and the passport ranking shows how yours compares.
Nearby countries
Questions
Do I need a visa for the United States?
It depends on your passport. Of the 198 other passports in our data, 4 passports can enter the United States without a visa, 42 passports need an eTA and 152 passports need a visa in advance. Pick your passport on this page, or see the full list on the all-passports page for United States.
When is the best time to visit the United States?
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. Shoulder seasons in most regions.
What plug type and voltage does the United States use?
United States uses plug types A, B at 120 V and 60 Hz. Check that your devices accept that voltage before you plug them in. Plug data is hand-curated, so confirm before you fly.
Which side of the road do they drive on in the United States?
Traffic keeps to the right in the United States.
What currency does the United States use?
United States dollar ($, USD).
What is the calling code for the United States?
+1.
What is the capital of the United States?
Washington D.C..
How up to date is this information?
Entry rules come from the open Passport Index dataset, last updated 18 February 2026. Governments change rules often, so check with the embassy or the official immigration site before you book. Weather and public holidays on this page are fetched live from Open-Meteo and Nager.Date.
Keep United States and every other country on one map
Explo is a free app: light up the countries you have visited, save the ones you dream about, and check visa rules, weather and holidays before you go.
Get ExploEntry rules come from the open Passport Index dataset by Ilya Ilyankou (MIT), last updated 18 February 2026. Governments change rules often, so treat this as a guide and check with the embassy or the official immigration site before you book.