Christmas light displays are a beloved holiday tradition that take festive celebrations to another level. The glow of twinkling lights in neighborhoods around the country makes everything cozier. These are more than just decorations, they're annual adornments, from subtle to spectacle, that enhance holiday cheer. Time Out has rounded up the best Christmas lights displays in the U.S., and one town in Florida does it like no other.
St. Augustine, Florida's Nights of Lights (November 15, 2025, through January 11, 2026) is glow-up based on a tradition that goes back centuries. Every winter, the nation’s oldest city wraps its historic downtown in soft white lights, inspired by a Spanish tradition of placing candles in windows during the holidays. The effect is elegant, immersive and magical. In the Plaza de la Constitución, the public square that has hosted markets since the 1500s, palm trees are wrapped from trunk to frond and strands of lights stretch overhead to form a glowing canopy. Live music adds to the ambiance, making you feel like you've stepped into a postcard.
Seeing the lights is free and accessible on foot. You can also hop on the Old Town Trolley or Ripley’s Red Train at no cost, or even view the display from the water on a boat tour. Special events like a Christmas parade, a lighted boat regatta and novelty rides like Grinch-themed trolley tours add to the sparkle. Up for a challenge? A single red light is hidden among the white lights, offering bragging rights to whoever finds it.
At number two is Peacock Lane in Portland, Oregon. Known as the city’s Christmas Street, this four-block residential stretch has been lighting up since 1932. Tudor-style homes and English cottages provide storybook scenery, while neighbors go all in with coordinated displays.
Rounding out the top three is Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill in Clifton, Ohio. This tiny town transforms a 19th-century grist mill and its surrounding gorge with roughly four million lights. Bridges, trees, riverbanks and the mill itself glow throughout the night.
Find the full list of Time Out's best Christmas lights displays here.
Most festive Christmas lights displays in America, according to Time Out
- Nights of Lights—St. Augustine, FL
- Peacock Lane—Portland, OR
- Clifton Mill—Clifton, OH
- Hersheypark Christmas Candylane and Hershey Sweet Lights—Hershey, PA
- Miracle at Big Rock—St. Croix Falls, WI
- Village of Lights—Leavenworth, WA
- Fantasy in Lights—Pine Mountain, GA
- Christmas Tree Lane—Altadena, CA
- Magic Christmas in Lights—Theodore, AL
- Glow Hartford—Hartford, CT