Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Dunhill Travel Deals.
From serene beach getaways to adventurous national park visits, the U.S. offers a diverse array of travel experiences. Understanding which destinations see the biggest seasonal spikes in visitors can help travelers make informed decisions while also providing insight into broader tourism trends.
Recent data from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) shows that U.S. summer travel has not only rebounded from the pandemic but now exceeds pre-pandemic levels. Airlines have adjusted schedules to accommodate this surge while also practicing capacity discipline — a strategy of limiting available seats to maintain higher fares and profitability.
This analysis examines both total flight volume and the number of arriving passengers. While we consider overall commercial flight activity, our primary focus is on travelers flying to these destinations—not just those departing from or passing through.
By analyzing round-trip and multi-leg ticket data, we highlight locations that experience the largest seasonal spikes in visitor arrivals, offering a data-driven look at where air travelers head for summer trips.
Here are the most popular summer travel destinations in the U.S.
20. Fresno, CA
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +15.7%
- Average daily summer visitors: 783
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 677
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +10.4%
- Average daily summer flights: 39
- Average daily non-summer flights: 35
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $493
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $497
19. Cincinnati, OH
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +16.4%
- Average daily summer visitors: 2,524
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 2,169
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +4.3%
- Average daily summer flights: 192
- Average daily non-summer flights: 184
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $390
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $406
18. Philadelphia, PA
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +18.6%
- Average daily summer visitors: 7,115
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 5,998
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +11.6%
- Average daily summer flights: 393
- Average daily non-summer flights: 352
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $422
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $437
17. Columbus, OH
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +18.9%
- Average daily summer visitors: 2,823
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 2,374
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +4.6%
- Average daily summer flights: 128
- Average daily non-summer flights: 123
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $430
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $427
16. Denver, CO
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +22.7%
- Average daily summer visitors: 21,947
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 17,882
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +8.5%
- Average daily summer flights: 913
- Average daily non-summer flights: 842
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $366
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $359
15. Pittsburgh, PA
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +24.0%
- Average daily summer visitors: 3,149
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 2,539
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +4.3%
- Average daily summer flights: 143
- Average daily non-summer flights: 137
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $417
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $425
14. Hartford, CT
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +24.8%
- Average daily summer visitors: 2,166
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 1,735
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +4.2%
- Average daily summer flights: 83
- Average daily non-summer flights: 80
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $434
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $453
13. Norfolk, VA
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +29.4%
- Average daily summer visitors: 2,052
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 1,586
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +13.3%
- Average daily summer flights: 79
- Average daily non-summer flights: 70
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $431
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $455
12. Chicago, IL
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +31.7%
- Average daily summer visitors: 22,417
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 17,023
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +9.7%
- Average daily summer flights: 1,284
- Average daily non-summer flights: 1,171
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $385
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $386
11. Cleveland, OH
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +32.1%
- Average daily summer visitors: 3,601
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 2,725
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +3.1%
- Average daily summer flights: 136
- Average daily non-summer flights: 132
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $395
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $395
10. Detroit, MI
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +32.7%
- Average daily summer visitors: 7,368
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 5,553
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +4.3%
- Average daily summer flights: 401
- Average daily non-summer flights: 385
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $442
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $438
9. Rochester, NY
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +35.4%
- Average daily summer visitors: 901
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 665
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +2.0%
- Average daily summer flights: 48
- Average daily non-summer flights: 47
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $430
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $433
8. Boston, MA
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +40.6%
- Average daily summer visitors: 16,395
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 11,659
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +14.3%
- Average daily summer flights: 626
- Average daily non-summer flights: 547
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $434
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $438
7. Portland, OR
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +44.5%
- Average daily summer visitors: 6,812
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 4,715
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +12.2%
- Average daily summer flights: 233
- Average daily non-summer flights: 208
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $456
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $447
6. Milwaukee, WI
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +47.9%
- Average daily summer visitors: 2,608
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 1,763
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +2.2%
- Average daily summer flights: 88
- Average daily non-summer flights: 86
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $447
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $437
5. Everett, WA
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +49.5%
- Average daily summer visitors: 169
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 113
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +11.6%
- Average daily summer flights: 12
- Average daily non-summer flights: 11
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $357
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $341
4. Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +49.9%
- Average daily summer visitors: 9,209
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 6,144
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +8.1%
- Average daily summer flights: 433
- Average daily non-summer flights: 401
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $431
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $443
3. Seattle, WA
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +59.1%
- Average daily summer visitors: 16,505
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 10,375
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +22.8%
- Average daily summer flights: 687
- Average daily non-summer flights: 560
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $476
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $438
2. Grand Rapids, MI
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +63.7%
- Average daily summer visitors: 1,605
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 980
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +2.2%
- Average daily summer flights: 54
- Average daily non-summer flights: 53
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $435
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $449
1. Buffalo, NY
- Change in average daily visitors during summer: +67.9%
- Average daily summer visitors: 2,142
- Average daily non-summer visitors: 1,276
- Change in average daily flights during summer: +9.8%
- Average daily summer flights: 70
- Average daily non-summer flights: 64
- Average summer round-trip airfare: $399
- Average non-summer round-trip airfare: $396
Methodology
The data in this analysis come from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ Airline Origin and Destination Survey and Air Carrier Statistics database.
Researchers at Dunhill Travel Deals — a leading source for travel deal discovery — ranked locations by the percentage change in average daily flight passenger traffic during the summer.
For the purposes of this analysis, the summer season was considered to be July through September, and averages were calculated using data from October 2021 through September 2024, the latest data available.
For relevance, destinations were only included if they were a part of a round-trip flight where the destination was a scheduled stop not solely for the reason of changing planes. Additionally, locations with an average of less than 100 daily summertime passengers were excluded.
In the event of a tie, the location with the greater average daily flight passenger traffic was ranked higher. The researchers also calculated the percentage change in average daily flights arriving at each location, as well as average airfares during summer and non-summer periods for visiting travelers.
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