How To Get a U.S. IP Address

If you want to pretend you’re in the U.S. while you’re online, you can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get a U.S. IP address. While other methods exist for getting USA IP addresses, a VPN is the best way as they increase your privacy, hide your data, and are easy to use.

Your IP address is the unique identifier assigned by your internet service provider (ISP) that helps web servers deliver content to you. However, it also carries a lot of information about you, including your location, which can lead to restricted content access in some cases. 

In this article, we’ll outline the best VPNs to get a U.S. IP address and offer expert advice on how to get the most from each of them.

How to get a USA IP address

A VPN is a service that helps you connect securely and privately to the internet. A VPN essentially routes your connection through an encrypted server, typically in another country. This disguises your location and other personal information that can be gleaned from an IP address.

Many VPNs also have the added benefit of enabling you to choose servers in one of multiple locations. This means you can present your connection as originating from your choice of servers within a given country. This ability makes VPNs ideal for quickly acquiring a U.S. IP address.

How to choose a VPN

The VPN market is saturated with options. Most of these are reputable and will work fairly well. However, due to the nature of the service, VPNs also attract some bad actors and less-than-trustworthy companies. To minimize your risk, you should ensure that the VPN you choose is popular and has been thoroughly vetted for security and privacy.

Here are some key considerations when choosing a VPN:

• Avoid free options. Yes, there are free VPN options on the market. You should almost universally avoid these. At best, they will have extremely strict limits. At worst, they may be selling your data to fund their operation. If you must use one, the best free VPNs tend to be those that also offer a paid upgrade tier.
• Review the provider’s logs policy. VPN providers have access to a lot of potentially sensitive data. After all, when connected, all your online traffic is being routed through the VPN’s servers. Most reputable providers will publicly share their policy for keeping logs and records. We highly recommend choosing a VPN with a no-logs policy.
• Pay attention to performance. Many VPNs these days offer similar speeds to a direct connection, but some are better than others. There will almost always be some performance drop when using a VPN, but it should ideally be minimal.

How to use a VPN to get a US IP address

Getting a U.S. IP address with a VPN is simple. Most allow you to select the country and even a specific state or city, you want to use, such as New York or Los Angeles. Nearly all VPNs offer U.S. servers. Simply open your VPN client, choose a server in the U.S., and the VPN software will take care of the rest.

Use Tor Browser

Tor is a piece of software that helps facilitate anonymous communication and online activity by routing internet traffic through a network of relay servers. Tor makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to trace the original source of network traffic (though keep in mind that nothing is foolproof).

The Tor Browser bundles this software with a privacy-focused web browser designed to leave as little trace as possible. Tor is free and works well for privacy, with the caveat that performance is absolutely abysmal due to the number of relays your traffic is routed through.

You can set your IP address to a particular country with Tor using the following steps:

1. Open your file browser and locate the folder where you installed the Tor browser.
2. Navigate to Browser > TorBrowser > Data > Tor.
3. Open the torrc file with a text editor. (Text Edit on Mac or Notepad on Windows, for example.)
4. Add the following lines to it:
   ExitNodes {us}
   StrictNodes 1
5. Save the file and restart Tor.

This setting will persist until you change it, so no need to repeat the process each time you launch the browser.

Use a proxy server

A proxy server (or simply “proxy”) is a server that acts as a gateway or middleman between your device and the wider internet. Proxy servers are similar in principle to VPNs—they sit between you and the website you’re visiting and mask your IP address. The main difference is that proxy servers don’t typically have the other privacy-focused features of a VPN, such as encryption.

To get a U.S. IP address using a proxy, you simply need to choose a proxy service that has U.S.-based servers. The main hurdle here is finding a reputable provider that’s actually affordable—many proxy networks are aimed at users looking for large-scale web scraping and data collection, so the prices can be out of reach for casual users.

Generally, we’d recommend just going with a VPN provider instead. However, if you must use a proxy network, Bright Data and SOAX are two popular (but pricey) options.

Best VPNs for USA IP addresses

There are a ton of VPNs on the market, serving a wide variety of needs. Choosing one can be difficult. However, making the right choice is important because these services deal pretty directly with potentially sensitive personal info.

What to look for in a VPN

• Number and location of servers: VPNs are all about the servers. The more there are, the more choice you have in the specific location of your IP address. More servers also generally means enhanced privacy and fewer service interruptions. If you want a U.S. IP address, you want to make sure there’s at least one server in the U.S.
• The VPN protocol used: VPNs use standardized software protocols to ensure compatibility. Some are faster and more secure than others. In general, OpenVPN and especially WireGuard offer the best performance and security.
• The presence of a kill switch: A kill switch is a VPN feature that automatically cuts your internet access if it detects that your device is not connected through the VPN. This helps ensure you can’t be caught off guard and accidentally compromise your privacy.
• A no-logs policy: All the privacy features in the world won’t help if your VPN keeps logs of your activity. Look for a provider that is public about its log-keeping practices—ideally, keeping no logs at all.

NordVPN

NordVPN is a powerful and popular option with tons of features like split tunneling and a kill switch. It offers excellent speed, as well — important if you’re trying to use your U.S. IP address for Netflix. NordVPN offers 6,800+ servers in 111 countries. This is an excellent choice if you want a VPN for Netflix or other streaming services like HBO Max and BBC iPlayer.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN boasts servers in 105 countries, and gives users plenty of options for where to set their IP addresses. It also offers excellent iOS and Android apps, which may be important for some users. ExpressVPN also offers solid customer support, should you ever need it. Additionally, ExpressVPN has a DNS feature that lets you configure the VPN on your router, smart TV, and other devices that might not naturally support a VPN.

ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is an open-source VPN option with a reputation for security and transparency. It offers 9,100+ servers across 112 countries, as well as all the privacy-focused features you’d expect. It also has some advanced features, including a “stealth protocol” that attempts to disguise the fact that you’re using a VPN.

Reasons to use American IP addresses

Most of the reasons why you’d want to use a U.S. IP address revolve around access to content. For example, U.S. Netflix has a different content catalog than U.K. Netflix, and which one you get access to is based on your IP. Sports streams like those on ESPN may be restricted to particular regions, even within the U.S., so accessing these is another reason to connect to U.S. server locations.

Banks and other financial institutions may block traffic from overseas, so obtaining a U.S. IP address can enable you to access these services as you travel outside of North America. Finally, some countries block or restrict access to the internet. If you’re in one of these locations, a U.S. IP address may help unblock certain sites.

Of course, there are reasons why you might not want an American IP address. The U.S. is part of the international intelligence community known as the Five Eyes alliance, and is legally allowed to collect information on residents as part of the Patriot Act. As such, it may be less secure to use U.S. IP addresses in some situations — and you may give up some privacy, as well.

U.S. IP address FAQs

Bottom line

If you want to obtain a U.S. IP address—whether for streaming, bypassing content restrictions, or just protecting your privacy—you have several options. However, we recommend a VPN as the best option for most people to get a U.S. IP address.

Learn more about VPNs and see our recommendations for the best VPN services available.