North American Cities That Have Hosted the Olympics

Explore Olympic host cities  

If the excitement of the Olympic Games makes you wonder about past events, you’re in the right place to satisfy your curiosity! 

Learn about former Olympic host cities across North America, store away some trivia to impress your friends and check out a chart of previous and future Olympic games held worldwide.    

 

U.S. cities that have hosted the Olympic games

The modern games as we know them have been occurring since 1896, when fourteen nations, including the United States, competed in 43 events in nine sports. The games move around the globe, and the U.S. has served as host country eight times — four in the summer and four in the winter. Here are the cities that have been home to the Olympics: 

Atlanta, GA  

Year: 1996 Summer  

Number of events: 271 in 26 sports

Notable headlines: The 1996 games were the first time all 197 National Olympic Committees were present at an Olympics. Beach volleyball, mountain biking, lightweight rowing, women's soccer, and softball all debuted.  

Lake Placid, NY

Years: 1932 and 1980 Winter  

Number of events: 1932: 14 events in 4 sports; 1980: 38 events in 6 sports  

Notable headlines: Only 17 countries competed in the 1932 Games, which were held in the middle of the Great Depression. An unusually warm winter held the bobsleigh final until after the closing ceremonies.  

In 1980, Lake Placid was the only place to bid to host the games, and they utilized artificial snow for the first time. 

Los Angeles, CA 

Years: 1932, 1984 Summer (also slated to host 2028 Summer)  

Number of events: 1932: 117 in 14 sports; 1984: 221 in 21 sports  

Notable headlines: The 1932 Games went to L.A. by default because no other cities made a bid to host. With the games happening during the Great Depression, President Herbert Hoover was unable to attend. This was the first Olympics where the gold, silver and bronze victory podium was used, and it also set the standard for shorter games (at just 16 days).

In 1984, notable countries like Cuba, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, North Korea, Poland, and the Soviet Union did not attend, citing security concerns (though many thought their absences were politically motivated). Several women's events debuted, including the marathon, rhythmic gymnastics, synchronized swimming and cycling.   

Salt Lake City, UT  

Year: 2002 Winter  

Number of events: 78 events in 7 sports  

Notable headlines: Estonia and Croatia won their first medal in the Winter Games, and China and Australia won their first Winter gold medals. President George W. Bush became the first U.S. President to officially open the ceremonies.  

Squaw Valley, CA  

Year: 1960 Winter  

Number of events: 27 events in 4 sports  

Notable headlines: The host resort didn't exist until they won the bid and began construction. Men's biathlon and women's speed skating debuted, while bobsleigh was notoriously missing (only nine nations were going to participate, and the Olympic Committee refused to build the bobsleigh run for such a small competition). It was also the first use of instant replay when officials asked CBS to review video footage of a men's slalom skier.   

St. Louis, MO  

Year: 1904 Summer  

Number of events: 95 events in 16 sports  

Notable headlines: These games were initially slated to take place in Chicago but were moved to St. Louis to tie into the World's Fair. Boxing, freestyle wrestling, decathlon and dumbbell events debuted. And most importantly, these were the first games with gold, silver and bronze medals awarded.  

Other North American host cities 

Olympic hosting isn’t just limited to the United States; these North American cities have also hosted games.

Canada  

Our Northern neighbors hosted three different Olympic Games:  

• 1976 Summer: Montreal, QC  
• 1988 Winter: Calgary, AB  
• 2010 Winter: Vancouver, BC  

Mexico  

Mexico hosted the Olympics once: the 1968 Summer Games in Mexico City.  

Fun facts about Olympic cities and games 

Whether you’re an enthusiastic fan or just want to brush up for trivia night, these interesting facts will help you increase your knowledge.

What happens to U.S. venues after the Olympics?  

Some are repurposed into training facilities (like Lake Placid), turned into tourist attractions (Salt Lake City) or used as community venues (Atlanta). But many are abandoned and left to decay.  

How many Olympic Games have there been?  

After the 2024 Games, there will have been 54 Olympic Games (30 Summer and 24 Winter) held in 43 cities across 25 countries and five continents.   

Why do the games alternate every two years?  

When the modern games began in 1896, the Olympics took place every four years. In 1924, they added the Winter Games, which occurred in the same year, but the Summer Games often overshadowed the smaller Winter Games. Then, in 1992, they began alternating them every two years to give the Winter Games their own separate world stage.  

How many Olympics have been in the U.S.?   

The U.S. has hosted eight Olympics, which is more than any other country!  

What was the first U.S. city to host the Olympics?   

In 1904, St. Louis became the first American Olympic location.   

Has the USA competed in every Olympics? 

The United States has appeared at every modern game except when they boycotted the 1980 games in Russia.  

When was the last time the Olympics were held in the U.S.?   

The 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics were the last ones occurring on U.S. soil.  

Have any cities hosted both the Winter and Summer Olympics?   

Beijing, China, is the only city to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Games.  

What city has hosted the most Olympics?  

London has hosted them three times, more than any other city (1908, 1948, 2012). Note: After the 2024 and 2028 Games, Los Angeles and Paris will tie London as 3-time hosts. 

What's the northernmost city to have hosted the Summer Olympics?

In 1952, Helinski, Finland, was the northernmost location for the Summer Games.  

What's the southernmost city to have hosted the Winter Olympics?  

In 1998, Nagano, Japan, was home to the Winter Games closest to the equator.  

Historical Olympics locations

Here's every Olympic city since the modern games began:  

 

What’s your favorite Olympic city?  

Which of these locations sticks out in your memory? Have you visited a U.S. Olympic venue? Let us know in the comments which city gets the gold medal for best Olympic memories.   

Learn other interesting facts about places across the country here.