Miss USA 2006, the 55th Miss USA pageant, took place at the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 21, 2006. Fifty-one state titleholders competed, with Tara Conner of Kentucky winning the crown, succeeding Chelsea Cooley of North Carolina. The event was hosted by Nancy O'Dell and Drew Lachey, with commentary by Carson Kressley and a performance by the East Village Opera Company. Delegates arrived on April 2 for three weeks of events and preliminaries; the finals aired on NBC.