It’s been more than two decades since the United States hosted the Olympics, but that trend is going to come to an emphatic end in the coming years.
The last time the Olympics were held in the United States was way back in 2002 when Salt Lake City hosted the winter edition of the Games. The Olympics haven’t been contested in the summer in the United States since 1996, when Atlanta did the honors in the centennial edition of the modern Games.
Despite the two decades without the Olympics being held on U.S. soil, the country still has hosted the most editions of the Games at eight, with four in the summer and four in the winter.
That number will soon go up to 10, as the Olympics will return to the United States twice in a six-year span.
The first will take place in 2028 when Los Angeles hosts the Olympics for the first time since 1984. Los Angeles will be hosting for the third time, with Atlanta and St. Louis the only other U.S. cities to host the Games during the summer months.
Los Angeles will also be only the third city to host the Olympics on three occasions, joining London and Paris in that category.
After the 2030 Olympics are contested in the French Alps and the 2032 Olympics take place in Brisbane, Australia, the 2034 Games will return to the United States, as Salt Lake City will host the Winter Olympics for the second time.
Lake Placid held the Winter Olympics in 1932 and in 1980, while Squaw Valley, California hosted the 1960 edition of the Games.
For those curious, the next Olympics will be held in 2026 in Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy. That will get underway on Feb. 6 and run through Feb. 22, 2026.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly> Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
