What is .us?
The .us domain is the country code TLD for the United States of America. Despite being one of the original ccTLDs, .us has always played second fiddle to .com in its home country — a unique situation in the world of domains where most countries' ccTLDs are their most popular extension.
A Brief History
The .us domain was established in 1985, the same year as .com. However, because .com was already widely adopted by American businesses (and had no geographic restriction), .us never gained the same traction. The registry has been operated by various companies, currently GoDaddy Registry.
Why Choose .us?
- American identity — Signals a U.S.-based business or organization.
- Patriotic appeal — "US" carries strong national branding.
- Availability — Many names taken in .com are available in .us.
- Nexus requirement — Registrants must have a U.S. presence, keeping the namespace cleaner.
Who Uses .us?
U.S. government agencies, American businesses wanting to emphasize domestic identity, and organizations seeking alternatives to .com with a national flavor.
Did You Know?
- Only about 1.8 million .us domains are registered — tiny compared to .com's 160 million.
- The U.S. is the only major country where the ccTLD is less popular than the generic .com.
- .us requires a "nexus" — registrants must be U.S. citizens, residents, or organizations.
- Many U.S. government websites use .gov instead of .us.
Registration & Pricing
.us domains typically cost $10-15 per year through DomainWorld. DomainWorld offers fast registration and DNS setup of .us — you can get a domain up and running in minutes.
The Future of .us
As .com prices rise and availability shrinks, .us may finally get its moment. In the world of domains, America's own country code remains an underappreciated gem.