These Are the World’s Windiest Cities

No matter where you travel, you’re bound to experience wind. Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun and the planet’s rotation. While some locales are known for frequent light breezes, in some places, strong gusts are a fact of everyday life. Curious about which places experience the most windy days on average? Hold on to your hat as you discover 12 blustery cities below.

Baku, Azerbaijan

Wind is so common in Baku that the city is actually named after the weather. When it was an ancient Persian settlement, it was called Bād-kube, meaning “wind-pounded city” or “blown upon by mountain winds.” There are two dominant winds in Baku: the cold, northerly khazri and the warm, humid, and southerly gilavar. Wind speeds average over 11 mph for nine months of the year, between June and March, with November being the windiest month, with 12.7 mph average winds.

The blustery conditions in the Azerbaijani capital are primarily caused by the low geographical location and exposed location on the Caspian Sea coastline. Baku lays claim to being the lowest capital city in the world, sitting at 92 feet below sea level. First inhabited in the Bronze Age, it’s now a modern metropolis defined by sleek skyscrapers such as the Flame Towers. It’s also home to Mini Venice, a tourist district that mimics the canals, islands, and gondola rides of Venice, Italy. 

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The capital of its namesake state, Oklahoma City experiences average wind speeds of 11.1 mph between late January and June. Its windiest month is April, when gusts of up to 12.8 mph are common. There are several factors behind the gusty conditions in OKC. One is the city’s location in the Great Plains, a vast, low-lying landscape that allows winds to travel unobstructed. Another is its setting within Tornado Alley, an area of the United States infamous for thunderstorms, gale force winds, and tornadoes. 

In addition to the wind, Oklahoma City is well known for its cowboy culture, which is honored at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. A busy year-round schedule of equine events has also earned the city the nickname of “The Horse Show Capital of the World.” Another reason to visit the city is to cheer on professional sports teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA) and Oklahoma City Dodgers (MiLB).

Gruissan, France

Nestled on the Mediterranean Sea, Gruissan is one of the windiest cities in France. The region is dominated by the Tramontane, a powerful wind formed by an anticyclone over southwest France and a depression over the Mediterranean. Average wind speeds from late October to early May are 11.2 mph, peaking at 12.7 mph in February. 

Residents of Gruissan embrace the wind by taking to the water to practice water sports like kitesurfing, windsurfing, and wing foiling. Held at the end of May, Defi Kite is one of Europe’s largest kitesurfing competitions, attracting over 500 riders. The city is also known for its preserved medieval old town. Dating back to the 11th century, it features a circular village built around a church and ruined castle. Today, the narrow alleyways are home to independent shops and restaurants.  

Copenhagen, Denmark

A combination of climate, location, and geographical features makes Denmark a notably windy country. It’s surrounded by the Baltic and North seas, which are prone to wind-generating weather systems, and the country has a flat terrain with a lack of mountains to act as natural barriers. The same is true for Copenhagen, the Danish capital, located on the east coast. Here, winds of 12.9 mph are normal between September and March, with speeds peaking at an average of 15 mph in January. 

Denmark is a leader in renewable energy — around 50% of the country’s electricity is produced by a mix of wind and solar power. Located near Copenhagen, the Middelgrunden wind farm was the world’s biggest offshore wind farm when it opened in 2001. Aside from the wind, Copenhagen is a notably bike-friendly city that draws in visitors with its historical and avant-garde architecture set around vibrant neighborhoods, serene canals,  and picturesque parks. 

Punta Arenas, Chile

Located in the deep south of Chile‘s Patagonia region, Punta Arenas is windy no matter what time of the year it is. This port city sits on the Strait of Magellan, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and is widely regarded as one of the world’s most difficult routes to navigate because of the unpredictability of the tides and winds. These same winds are felt constantly in Punta Arenas. From October to late March, wind speeds average 16.2 mph, while for the rest of the year, they average 14.7 mph. November is the windiest month, when the average increases to 17.9 mph.

Punta Arenas is a common stopover for travelers and backpackers looking to explore Patagonia. Many use it as a base for excursions to Antarctica and breathtaking parks such as the glacier and fjord-laden Alberto de Agostini National Park. Places of interest around downtown Punta Arenas include the Monument of Ferdinand Magellan in the city’s central square and the Regional Museum of Magellanes. To help visitors and locals out when the gusts pick up, city officials have even put ropes up between some downtown buildings.

St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Located on the easternmost point of Canada’s easternmost province is St. John’s, the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador — and one of the windiest places in the country. From October to April, the windiest months of the year, the breeze blows at an average of 13 mph; for the remainder of the year, the average wind speed is 10 mph. In 2021, the city recorded 143 days with gusts of over 37 mph and 12 days when the gusts reached over 62 mph. On top of that, St. John’s is also one of the cloudiest, foggiest, snowiest, and wettest places in Canada.

St. John’s first came to prominence in the early 16th century when the Basques, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and English all took advantage of its strategic harbor and fishing opportunities at various points. The first permanent settlers took root in the 17th century, and today the city is famous for its colorful row houses located in the harborside downtown district. Towering above the city to the north is Signal Hill, where walking trails lead to scenic viewpoints and the historic Cabot Tower.

Aberdeen, Scotland

This port city in northeast Scotland is among the windiest places in the United Kingdom. Gusts often reach 14.3 mph between late September and April, and January is particularly windy, with speeds of 18.1 mph. Two contributing factors are the city’s exposure to the North Sea and its location close to the track of Atlantic depressions. The latter is a weather phenomenon that severely impacts Scotland’s climate, most significantly in winter, when low-pressure systems bring strong winds, heavy rain, and storms to the British Isles.

Despite a notoriously bad climate and remote location, Aberdeen still draws year-round tourists. Aberdeen Art Gallery displays works from the 18th to 20th centuries, while the Aberdeen Science Centre offers family-friendly exhibits and workshops. Outdoor enthusiasts can head to Royal Deeside for hiking amid a landscape of rolling hills, forests, moors, and rivers. 

Dodge City, Kansas

Kansas is located in the heart of Tornado Alley, the region of the U.S. where tornadoes are most frequent. Dodge City is one place within the state where locals are familiar with persistently blustery conditions — the result of high-pressure systems that sweep down from the Rockies and across the High Plains and mix with low pressure systems that rise up from the Gulf of Mexico. Late February to late June is typically the windiest time of the year, with wind speeds topping out an average of 13 mph in April. In December 2021, a powerful windstorm produced the city’s highest record gusts of 84 mph.

For those undeterred by windy weather, Dodge City makes for an interesting pitstop on a tour of the Midwest. Reenactments of gunfights, variety shows, and other aspects of the Old West take place at Boot Hill Museum. The Gunfighters Wax Museum also has life-sized sculptures of legends of the era like Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp.

Rio Gallegos, Argentina

Also in the wilderness of Patagonia, but this time on the Argentinean side, is the riverside city of Río Gallegos. The city sits just inland from where the Gallegos River empties out into the frigid waters of the South Atlantic Ocean. With an exposed and low-lying location, it’s windy here year-round. The most affected months are from mid-October to late March, when wind speeds average just over 15 mph, but the rest of the year is by no means calm. The city frequently sees gusts of 60 mph and above throughout the year.

While Río Gallegos is certainly remote, for dedicated adventurers, it’s a useful stopover on a journey to see the mystical landscapes of Argentina’s southernmost Tierra del Fuego province. Around the city are a number of interesting sights, such as the Eduardo Minnicelli Art Museum, which showcases the works of local artists. It’s possible to spot Megellanic penguins, too, at the Cabo Virgenes Nature Reserve.

Tórshavn, Faroe Islands

Tórshavn is the capital of the Faroe Islands, a self-governing archipelago of 18 islands set in the North Atlantic between Iceland, Norway, and Scotland. The weather across the islands is notoriously unpredictable and shaped by factors such as Atlantic depressions, prevailing westerly winds, and a proximity to the Gulf Stream. Summers are typically short, cool, and windy — while winters are long, cold, wet, and subject to strong winds. Average wind speeds of 18 mph are typical from September to April. 

Despite the harsh conditions, Tórshavn has been a busy trading and fishing port for centuries. Established by Vikings around 900 CE, Tinganes is thought to be one of the world’s oldest parliamentary meeting places. Every year, on July 28 and 29, the city celebrates Ólavsøka (St. Olaf’s Day) in honor of the patron saint of the islands. The vibrant festival features traditional Faroese chain dancing and ballad singing, rowing races, church services, and a Midnáttarsangurin (Midnight Song).

Cold Bay, Alaska

With a name like Cold Bay and a location in the remote Aleutian Islands of Alaska, it’ll come as little surprise that this city experiences some adverse weather conditions. The windiest season here lasts for over seven months, from mid-September well into April, with wind speeds topping out at an average of 18.2 miles per hour in November. One of the main reasons for this is the Aleutian Low, a region of low pressure situated close to the islands, where sub-polar cyclones reach their greatest strength. Also known as the Cradle of the Storm, the region is among the stormiest areas in the North Pacific. These storms typically blow eastward over Cold Bay and other settlements in the islands.

Anyone who does make the trek to Cold Bay will be welcomed by a spectacular natural landscape made up of volcanoes, glaciers, tundra uplands, and icy lagoons. Wildlife such as brown bears, caribou, foxes, shorebirds, and waterfowl make up the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge just outside of town. In addition to visiting the refuge, be sure to hop on a ferry and be blown away (pun intended) by the beauty of the Aleutian Islands.

Wellington, New Zealand

Set on the southwestern point of New Zealand’s North Island is Wellington, the national capital and the world’s southernmost capital city. It also frequently tops lists of the world’s windiest cities, hence its nickname “Windy Wellington.” On average, the wind blows at 16 mph here, primarily due to the city’s location on the Cook Strait, which acts as a wind tunnel through which ocean breezes build strength. The rugged mountainous surroundings also cause local variations in wind strengths. Some of the strongest gusts ever recorded are 124 mph in the Kelburn suburb in 1968 and 133 mph at nearby Hau Nui Wind Farm in 1998.

The wind does little to deter visitors from making the journey to this remote city in the South Pacific, however. Travelers come to ride the historic red Wellington Cable Car from Lambton Quay to Kelburn and Wellington Botanic Garden. Don’t miss the panoramic views from the top of blustery Mount Victoria or delving into Mauri and colonial history at Te Papa. When that’s all done, the artisanal bakeries, brewpubs, chocolatiers, and pizzerias along Hannahs Laneway provide a tasty refuge from the constant breeze.