America’s Only Two-State St. Patrick’s Day Parade Ends in Iowa

Every year when March rolls around, many Americans get outside to enjoy their first outdoor event in months... a St. Patrick's Day Parade. There are over 100 held in cities across the country but only one parade actually takes place in two different states, and it concludes in Iowa.

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When you talk about St. Patrick's Day parades, you can't do a story without discussing perhaps the most remarkable parade there is.

According to the New York City Saint Patrick's Day Parade, its "the oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the world. The first parade was held on March 17, 1762 — fourteen years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence." That's incredible! There are typically approximately 150,000 participants in the parade and 2 million people along the route.

Closer to home, the 48th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade will be held in downtown Cedar Rapids on Saturday, March 11 at 1 p.m. It's often called the SaPaDaPaSo Parade because it's put on by the Saint Patrick's Day Parade Society. It is easily the largest parade in Cedar Rapids each year.

One of the most unique parades in the U.S. is one that's held in the Quad Cities. Hailed as the only inter-state St. Patrick's Day in the U.S. because it takes place in two states. It starts in Illinois and ends in Iowa.

This year's 37th parade, called the 'Quad Cities Grand Parade XXXVII', begins in downtown Rock Island and heads for the Centennial Bridge. It then crosses the Mississippi River into Iowa, where it concludes in downtown Davenport.

The Quad Cities Grand Parade XXXVII happens on Saturday, March 18, 2023, beginning at 11:30 a.m. It lasts no more than two hours. The parade map is below and more information is available here.