Guide Rankings Culture Updated July 11, 2026

State Fairs by State

Ferris wheel and crowded midway at a large American state fair at dusk

State Fairs by State

Ranking - Culture

The State Fair of Texas draws about 2.3 million visitors to Dallas each fall, the highest attendance of any U.S. fair. The Minnesota State Fair packs roughly 1.9 million into 12 days.

Quick Answer

State Fairs by State

  1. 1

    The State Fair of Texas draws about 2.3 million visitors over 24 days in Dallas, the highest attendance of any U.S. state fair. The Minnesota State Fair ranks second at roughly 1.9 million.

  2. 2

    The Great New York State Fair, first held in Syracuse in 1841, is the oldest in the country. Gate admission there costs $6, the lowest of any major fair.

  3. 3

    Most fairs run in August and September. Florida breaks the pattern with a February fair in Tampa, and Pennsylvania's Farm Show fills Harrisburg each January with free admission.

Map

State Fairs by State Map

Attendance
No data
State Fairs by State Map
Rank State Attendance
1 Texas 2.3M
2 Minnesota 1.9M
3 Massachusetts 1.6M
4 Iowa 1.2M
5 Washington 1.1M
6 Wisconsin 1.0M
7 New York 980,000
8 Ohio 950,000
9 North Carolina 930,000
10 Oklahoma 900,000
11 Indiana 850,000
12 Arizona 700,000
13 Illinois 630,000
14 Kentucky 600,000
15 Mississippi 590,000
16 Georgia 580,000
17 California 550,000
18 Pennsylvania 510,000
19 Tennessee 500,000
20 Florida 495,000
21 Maryland 470,000
22 Colorado 460,000
23 South Carolina 450,000
24 New Mexico 440,000
25 Louisiana 430,000
26 Arkansas 400,000
27 Missouri 350,000
28 Kansas 340,000
29 North Dakota 310,000
30 Alaska 300,000
31 Delaware 290,000
32 Utah 285,000
33 Nebraska 280,000
34 Oregon 270,000
35 Idaho 250,000
36 Virginia 245,000
37 Maine 225,000
38 Alabama 220,000
39 South Dakota 210,000
40 Connecticut 200,000
41 West Virginia 160,000
42 Hawaii 150,000
43 New Jersey 120,000
44 New Hampshire 100,000
45 Michigan 95,000
46 Montana 90,000
47 Rhode Island 80,000
48 Wyoming 45,000
49 Vermont 40,000
50 Nevada 15,000

The State Fair of Texas draws about 2.3 million visitors, the highest attendance in the country. Minnesota follows at roughly 1.9 million, and Nevada's revived fair is the smallest at about 15,000.

State Fairs by State Table

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Print-ready table — State Fairs by State

Biggest State Fairs in the United States

Big Tex statue towering over the midway at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas
Big Tex, a 55-foot talking cowboy, has greeted visitors at the State Fair of Texas since 1952. The Dallas fair draws about 2.3 million people over 24 days, the highest attendance in the nation.

Texas runs the biggest fair in the country, drawing about 2.3 million people to Fair Park in Dallas across 24 days. Minnesota packs roughly 1.9 million into just 12 days, the highest daily turnout of any American fair.

The Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts draws about 1.6 million and represents all six New England states. Iowa follows at roughly 1.18 million visitors on a 445-acre fairground, the largest site in the top ten.

Adult gate admission at the ten biggest fairs mostly falls between $15 and $25. New York charges $6, the cheapest gate among major fairs, and the Pennsylvania Farm Show costs nothing to enter.

Rank
1
Fair
State Fair of Texas
State
Texas
Attendance
2300000
Days
24
Acres
277
Rank
2
Fair
Minnesota State Fair
State
Minnesota
Attendance
1900000
Days
12
Acres
322
Rank
3
Fair
The Big E
State
Massachusetts
Attendance
1600000
Days
17
Acres
175
Rank
4
Fair
Iowa State Fair
State
Iowa
Attendance
1180000
Days
11
Acres
445
Rank
5
Fair
Washington State Fair
State
Washington
Attendance
1100000
Days
20
Acres
169
Rank
6
Fair
Wisconsin State Fair
State
Wisconsin
Attendance
1020000
Days
11
Acres
200
Rank
7
Fair
Great New York State Fair
State
New York
Attendance
980000
Days
13
Acres
375
Rank
8
Fair
Ohio State Fair
State
Ohio
Attendance
950000
Days
12
Acres
360
Rank
9
Fair
North Carolina State Fair
State
North Carolina
Attendance
930000
Days
11
Acres
344
Rank
10
Fair
Oklahoma State Fair
State
Oklahoma
Attendance
900000
Days
11
Acres
430

Oldest State Fairs in America

Sculptor shaping the famous Butter Cow inside a cooler at the Iowa State Fair
The Iowa State Fair, first held in 1854, draws about 1.18 million visitors to Des Moines each August. Its Butter Cow has been sculpted from roughly 600 pounds of butter every year since 1911.

New York held the first state fair in Syracuse in 1841, five years ahead of Vermont's Rutland fair in 1846. Michigan started its fair in 1849, though state funding ended in 2009 and private operators revived the event in Novi in 2013.

Ohio (1850), Wisconsin (1851), and Indiana (1852) all launched before the Civil War. Maine's Fryeburg Fair, first held in 1851, is older than every state fair west of the Mississippi.

Fair
Great New York State Fair
State
New York
First Held
1841
Fair
Vermont State Fair
State
Vermont
First Held
1846
Fair
Michigan State Fair
State
Michigan
First Held
1849
Fair
Ohio State Fair
State
Ohio
First Held
1850
Fair
Wisconsin State Fair
State
Wisconsin
First Held
1851
Fair
Fryeburg Fair
State
Maine
First Held
1851
Fair
Indiana State Fair
State
Indiana
First Held
1852
Fair
Illinois State Fair
State
Illinois
First Held
1853
Fair
North Carolina State Fair
State
North Carolina
First Held
1853
Fair
Iowa State Fair
State
Iowa
First Held
1854

State Fair Dates in 2026

Carnival ride glowing at dusk beside fair tents and crowds
Most state fairs cluster in August and September, while Florida runs in February and Pennsylvania opens its Farm Show in January. Nine fairs close on Labor Day, September 7, 2026.

August and September dominate the calendar, with 30 of the 50 fairs opening in those two months. Nine fairs close on Labor Day, September 7, 2026, including Minnesota, New York, Colorado, and Oregon.

Florida stands alone in winter, running in Tampa in early February. Pennsylvania schedules its Farm Show even earlier, filling Harrisburg's expo complex each January, and Hawaii spreads its 50th State Fair across weekends in May and June.

Quick Answers

Which state has the biggest state fair?
The State Fair of Texas is the biggest, filling Fair Park in Dallas for 24 days each fall. Attendance reaches about 2.3 million, roughly 400,000 ahead of second-place Minnesota.
What is the oldest state fair in the United States?
The Great New York State Fair is the oldest, first held in Syracuse in 1841. Vermont followed in 1846, Michigan in 1849, and Ohio in 1850.
When is the State Fair of Texas in 2026?
The State Fair of Texas runs September 25 through October 18, 2026, at Fair Park in Dallas. Its 24-day schedule is the longest of any major state fair.
Which state fair has the highest daily attendance?
The Minnesota State Fair draws the most people per day. Roughly 1.9 million visitors over a 12-day run works out to more than 150,000 daily, far above the State Fair of Texas, which spreads 2.3 million across 24 days.
Do all 50 states have a state fair?
No. Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island have no official state fair, and the Big E in Massachusetts represents all six New England states. Pennsylvania holds an indoor Farm Show each January instead, and Nevada's fair lapsed from 2011 to 2016 before a small revival in Carson City.
How much do state fair tickets cost?
Adult gate admission at most major fairs runs between $15 and $25. The Great New York State Fair charges $6, the lowest of any large fair, and the Pennsylvania Farm Show has free admission.

Methodology

Attendance figures are the most recent annual totals reported by each fair or local media, rounded. For states without an official state fair the table lists the state's largest annual fair, and 2026 dates follow each fair's announced or traditional schedule.

Sources

Information is cross-referenced with official state archives.
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