"I Hope You Dance" is ranked 352 in the list Songs of the Century compiled by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

"I Hope You Dance" reached its 2 million sales mark in the United States in October 2015,[6] and as of August 2016, it has sold 2,093,000 digital copies in the US.

[7] Womack told The Today Show, "You can't hear those lyrics and not think about children and—and—and hope for the future and things you want for them.

Certainly, it can represent everything a parent hopes for their child, but it can also be for a relationship that's ending as a fond wish for the other person's happiness or for someone graduating, having a baby, or embarking on a new path.

"[10] In 2006 Womack told Billboard about an incident at the Country Radio Seminar, recalling that, after a night of drinking, "I completely blanked out on the lyrics of 'I Hope You Dance,' of all songs.

"[11] "I Hope You Dance" is a mid-tempo country pop ballad in which the narrator expresses her wishes to an unknown "you."

Deborah Evans Price of Billboard gave the song a positive review and wrote, "This is a career record.

Years from now, when critics are discussing Womack's vocal gifts and impressive body of work, this is a song that will stand out.

The production is clean and understated, letting Womack's stunning vocal and the great lyric take center stage.

"[12] For its pop release, Chuck Taylor of the publication gave it a positive review and commended how it still kept the meaningful lyrics and how "it should not be missed".

[16] It entered the top-ten of the chart the week of June 3, 2000, at number 8, becoming her first top ten single since "I'll Think of a Reason Later" (1999).

All of this led the track to peak as high as number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Womack's biggest hit to date.

Internationally, the track entered the charts in Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom Directed by Gerry Wenner in Nashville[23] and featuring an elongated mix of the song, running for nearly five minutes, the music video features Womack singing while in a blue room, as well as playing, frolicking, and sleeping with her two daughters.

Other scenes feature her oldest daughter Aubrie carrying her youngest Anna Lise into a gated area to watch a ballet show somewhat reminiscent of "Swan Lake".