The best photos from the US in 2025 by The Associated Press

Throughout 2025, as the United States faced a year of upheaval, Associated Press photographers captured powerful moments of both sorrow and hope. Their lenses revealed scenes of celebration, despair, and fleeting glimpses of awe.

They ventured into the flames that ravaged Los Angeles and a historic Gold Rush town in California, discovering small sparks of resilience, like a lone blue van amidst the devastation. In Arizona, they chronicled the immense force of a massive dust storm, while in Oklahoma, they captured the striking beauty of springtime storms sweeping the plains.

In Florida, photographers highlighted the fragile elegance of a freshwater spring threatened by climate change. On San Franciscos infamous Alcatraz Island, a solitary seagull soaring above the decayed prison symbolized a moment of quiet grace.

The AP team documented the intensity of the national immigration debate, photographing families fighting to remain together in courtrooms and the confrontations between protesters and law enforcement on city streets and highways. They also captured how military deployments in Washington, D.C., altered daily life for residents.

Heartbreaking events were chronicled as well: catastrophic flooding in Texas claimed over 130 lives and destroyed campsites, while a collision between a jetliner and a military helicopter in the Potomac River resulted in 67 fatalities. Throughout the year, they recorded moments of political transition and turmoil, from the inauguration of President Donald Trump to the passing of former President Jimmy Carter, the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, and the election of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Author: Sophia Brooks