Minneapolis tops latest OpenSignal 4G LTE download speeds chart

All the major US carriers are locked in competition over mobile data coverage and speeds, and each is working hard to come out on top. No matter which carrier you’re currently subscribed to, though, your 4G LTE downloads speeds will also depend largely on which city you’re in.

Wireless research company OpenSignal has conducted a test of 35 major cities between July and September this year to get an idea of which has the highest average download speeds. Of course, in the context of all US cities, this is a fairly small sample, but it nonetheless gives an impression of how various regions are performing.

The overall winner went to Minneapolis which achieved average download speeds of 21.5 Mbps — beating OpenSignal’s national average estimate which stands at 13.98 Mbps. The Midwest did well in general, according to the research, with Detroit coming in second, Chicago fourth and St Louis fifth; check out the full list below.

What else is interesting about the results is the difference between best and worst: Las Vegas, last on the list, had an average of 11.65 Mbps, just over half what Minneapolis achieved. That being said, OpenSignal notes that 29 out of the 35 cities in the test performed better than the aforementioned national average.

The results are based on users who have conducted speed tests using the OpenSignal app, so these figures above are only estimates. The specific smartphone and carrier will also play a part in download speeds: it’s possible that you could see terrific download rates in Las Vegas with a certain combination of factors.

Do the results line up with the download speeds you experience in your location? Let us know in the comments.