New Upgraded Points Survey Reveals How Far Americans Plan to Travel This Holiday Season

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 28, 2025 — Upgraded Points recently surveyed more than 2,300 U.S. adults about their travel plans between Thanksgiving and New Year’s 2025 – including distance, trip length, preferred modes of transport, and what is prompting them to go (or stay home). The findings reveal how cost, work commitments, and family expectations are changing where, when, and how people travel for the holidays.

“Holiday travel is always a struggle between logistics and emotion,” said Keri Stooksbury, editor-in-chief at Upgraded Points. “With such long distances to cover, travelers are currently juggling budgets and schedules while also trying to preserve traditions that matter. Our latest insights can help people plan smarter – from choosing the best travel days to deciding whether to drive, fly, or stay home – so that the season feels less frantic and more festive.” 

Study Methodology
The online survey was conducted in September 2025 of 2,370 U.S. adults, balanced by state and gender, to measure typical holiday travel behaviors and plans for the 2025 season. Respondents were asked about trip distance, mode, budget, and the financial or personal factors shaping their choices. State-level shares were calculated from localized responses, and all percentages were rounded to the nearest tenth.

Holiday Travel Snapshot: Who’s Traveling, Who’s Staying Home
Home for the holidays remains the norm: 56% of Americans usually celebrate at home, 34% go to someone else’s place, and just 9% head to a vacation spot. Travel patterns shift by holiday: Thanksgiving skews short (28% travel 50+ miles), while Christmas draws people farther (34% travel 50+ miles and 1 in 10 go 500+ miles).

State residents most likely to travel:
Ohio: 62.0% travel
Connecticut: 58.0%
Texas: 56.1%
Iowa: 54.0% (tie)
Washington: 54.0% (tie)
Virginia: 53.7%
Nebraska: 52.9%
South Dakota: 52.6%
California: 50.0% (tie)
New York: 50.0% (tie)

State residents most likely to stay home:
Nevada: 72.7% stay home
Utah: 71.2%
Hawaii: 68.1%
Missouri: 66.0% (tie)
Oklahoma: 66.0% (tie)
Michigan: 65.3%
Idaho: 64.0%
Pennsylvania: 63.6%
Kansas: 63.5%
Indiana: 63.3%

Some travelers are avoiding the airport this season: 74% will not fly at all, 26% will fly at least once, and 14% are choosing long drives specifically to avoid airport stress. Budgets are pinching plans too: 21% are skipping travel because of cost, roughly 20% are trimming gifts to afford trips, and about 3 in 10 expect to spend $1,000 or more on holiday travel. While family and time off split the percentages: 44% feel obligated to travel, 42% would rather take a vacation than visit family, and 12% say work is keeping them home.

Long Hauls: Where Travelers Go the Farthest This Holiday Season
Colorado tops the list for long-distance holiday travel, with 24.5% of residents planning to travel 500 miles or more, and approximately 20% expecting to spend 10 hours or more en route – the highest shares in the country. Below are some of the states with the largest shares of residents taking epic holiday trips.
Top 5 states for long-distance holiday travel:
Colorado: 24.5% travel 500+ miles
Arizona: 20.8%
Missouri: 19.2%
Massachusetts: 18.0%
New Mexico: 17.0%

For the complete list of top states, along with helpful full-color maps, check out detailed survey results by visiting the full study online.

About Upgraded Points LLC

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Upgraded Points is a travel company that helps to demystify the complex world of travel and credit cards. Launched in 2016 by Alex Miller, Upgraded Points uses targeted research efforts and in-depth studies to help travelers maximize their travel, points, and experiences. Learn more at: www.UpgradedPoints.com.