Research reference
U.S. travel statistics: 2026 reference.
A practical collection of the latest verified numbers on how people travel in and around the United States. Every figure below links to its original source and notes the year it measures.
Last updated October 1, 2026
At a glance
Travel is moving in more than one direction.
Air travel, rail, cruising, national parks, and international visits each measure a different part of the picture. Read the figures in their own context, rather than treating them as interchangeable counts of travelers.
72.39 million
international visitors came to the United States in 2024.
This total includes visitors from Canada, Mexico, and overseas markets. It is the most complete recent annual benchmark for inbound U.S. travel.
Source: U.S. International Trade Administration, 2024 Travel and Tourism Fast Facts 01904 million
travelers were screened at U.S. airport checkpoints in 2024.
The Transportation Security Administration’s annual figure illustrates the scale of air travel through U.S. security checkpoints. A traveler can be counted more than once across a round trip.
Source: Transportation Security Administration, 2024 By the Numbers 02331.9 million
recreation visits were recorded across the National Park System in 2024.
National Park Service data covers more than 400 parks and preserves. It counts visits, rather than unique people.
Source: National Park Service, annual visitation trends 0332.8 million
customer trips were taken on Amtrak in fiscal year 2024.
Amtrak reported this as an all-time ridership record for the year ending September 30, 2024.
Source: Amtrak, FY 2024 Company Profile 0420.5 million
North American travelers took an ocean cruise in 2024.
North America accounted for more than half of the 34.6 million ocean-going cruise passengers reported globally that year.
Source: Cruise Lines International Association, 2024 Global Market Report 05$876 billion
was spent on domestic leisure travel in the United States in 2024.
This measure captures leisure travel spending within the country and shows the scale of trips taken close to home as well as farther afield.
Source: U.S. Travel Association, 2024 national data 06Methodology and sources
How this reference is kept useful.
This page uses the latest annual figures available from the named organizations as of October 1, 2026. The numbers describe different measures, such as visitor arrivals, checkpoint screenings, visits, customer trips, passenger counts, and spending. They should not be added together or used as a count of unique travelers.
We will review these sources roughly monthly and update the page when a newer official annual result is available. Source links appear with each statistic so readers can check the original definitions and reporting period.
For writers and researchers
Cite this page
See The Sights Travel. “U.S. Travel Statistics: 2026 Reference.” Updated October 1, 2026. https://seethesightstravel.com/us-travel-statistics
For a specific number, please also cite the linked original source.
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