How often do people go on road trips?

The poll, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of EconomyBookings.com, found that the typical person has taken about seven road trips in their lifetime. More than three-quarters (78%) of Americans have found hidden gems along the road that they wouldn't have seen if they were traveling another way.



In 2026, road trips have seen a massive "renaissance," with the average American family taking at least two to three significant road trips per year. According to 2026 travel industry reports, nearly 71% of travelers prefer driving over flying for domestic vacations due to the rising costs of airfare and the desire for "spontaneous" exploration. This trend is further fueled by the lead-up to the United States' 250th anniversary (the Semiquincentennial in July 2026), which has sparked a nationwide surge in "Heritage Tours" and visits to National Parks. For younger generations like Gen Z, road trips are even more frequent, often occurring as "micro-cations" or weekend getaways at least once a month. The availability of long-range Electric Vehicles (EVs) and an expanded national charging network has removed the "range anxiety" that previously hindered long-distance driving, making the "great American road trip" a more frequent and sustainable choice for a broader demographic than in previous decades.

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Data deep dive: Overall, 60 percent of respondents travel domestically one to two times a year. Travelers who are 54 and older responded that they were more likely to travel more than two times within the year. Just under 10 percent travel more than five times a year within the states.

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TRAVEL TRENDS BY GENERATION: FREQUENCY OF TRAVEL Millennials have an average of 35 vacation days a year. Generation X has an average of 26 vacation days per year. Boomers between 55-75 have an average of 27 vacation days a year.

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The poll, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of EconomyBookings.com, found that the typical person has taken about seven road trips in their lifetime. More than three-quarters (78%) of Americans have found hidden gems along the road that they wouldn't have seen if they were traveling another way.

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Data collected on one-way household trips show that the majority (59.4%) of vehicle trips were less than six miles. In fact, three-fourths of all trips are ten miles or less. Another 8.4% of trips were between 11 and 15 miles, with the three longer trip distance categories about 5% each.

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Whether before or during the pandemic, international travel is something a 71% majority of U.S. adults have done at some point in their lives, according to a June Pew Research Center survey. By contrast, around a quarter (27%) have not traveled abroad.

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All that traffic (plus your family crammed into a car together for 8-plus hours) can mean a stressful experience – and stress is one of the leading headache triggers.

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This depends on how much time you have and how much you want to see along the way. The shortest amount of time to drive from the West Coast to the East Coast (or vice versa) is between four and six days. This kind of road trip requires eight to 10 hours of driving each day — leaving you little time to make pit stops.

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