This Labor Day, travelers will be attempting to beat the heat. Instead of traveling to the beach, the assumed popular Labor Day destination, most travelers will be headed towards the mountains. The Rocky Mountains top the list as the national Labor Day favorite, followed by Shenandoah Valley, Maui, Cannon Beach and Aspen. To breakdown travel trends even further, TurnKey Vacation Rentals identified where travelers from your state will be headed (see chart below). Labor Day is the least popular of the three summer travel holidays; Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day, but there are many travelers that still plan on hitting national parks, beaches and even some who plan on long distance trips. Hawaii anyone?
TurnKey Top Destinations for 2017
- 1. Austin, TX
- 2. Port Aransas, TX
- 3. South Lake Tahoe, CA
- 4. Nashville, TN
- 5. Palm Springs, CA
- 6. Park City, UT
- 7. Truckee, CA
- 8. Corpus Christi, TX
- 9. San Diego, CA
- 10. Santa Barbara, CA
Top 10 Labor Day Destinations
- 1. Rocky Mountains, CO
- 2. Shenandoah Valley, VA
- 3. Maui, HI
- 4. Cannon Beach, OR
- 5. Aspen, CO
- 6. Asheville, NC
- 7. Vail, CO
- 8. Martha’s Vineyard, NY
- 9. Smoky Mountains, TN
- 10. Seattle, WA
Labor Day falls within the first few weeks of school starting and is often a family’s last chance for a vacation before fall break. Travelers will journey both near and far on their long weekend getaways but many opt to stay close to home. Do you agree with this list of top destinations based on your state? Where will you be traveling this Labor Day?
State By State Labor Day Travel Destinations
| State | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Alabama | Big Sky, MT | Smoky Mountains, TN | Las Vegas, NV |
| Alaska | Juneau, AK | Kauai, HI | Maui, HI |
| Arizona | Branson, MO | Bend, OR | Nashville, TN |
| Arkansas | Chicago, IL | Breckenridge, CO | Biloxi, MS |
| California | Orlando, FL | Cannon Beach, OR | Aspen, CO |
| Colorado | Aspen, CO | Denver, CO | Kauai, HI |
| Connecticut | Florida Keys, FL | Martha’s Vineyard, MA | Nantucket, MA |
| Delaware | Cape Cod, MA | Lewes, DE | Bethany Beach, DE |
| Florida | Smoky Mountains, TN | Charleston, SC | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| Georgia | Breckenridge, CO | Asheville, NC | Gatlinburg, TN |
| Hawaii | Oahu, HI | Honolulu, HI | Kauai, HI |
| Idaho | Cannon Beach. OR | Kauai, HI | Sun Valley, ID |
| Illinois | Chicago, IL | Palm Springs, CA | Maui, HI |
| Indiana | Smoky Mountains, TN | Lake Tahoe, CA | Kauai, HI |
| Iowa | Des Moines, IA | Iowa City, IA | Hilton Head, SC |
| Kansas | Denver, CO | Sedona, AZ | Chicago, IL |
| Kentucky | Jekyll Island, GA | Gatlinburg, TN | Chattanooga, TN |
| Louisiana | Gatlinburg, TN | Chattanooga, TN | Atlanta, GA |
| Maine | Acadia, ME | Bar Harbor, ME | Martha’s Vineyard, MA |
| Maryland | Cape Cod, MA | Harpers Ferry, MD | Rehoboth, DE |
| Massachusetts | Bar Harbor, ME | Martha’s Vineyard, MA | Myrtle Beach, SC |
| Michigan | Grand Rapids, MI | Maui, HI | San Diego, CA |
| Minnesota | Chicago, IL | San Diego, CA | Duluth, MN |
| Mississippi | Chattanooga, TN | Smoky Mountains, TN | Atlanta, GA |
| Missouri | Cape Cod, MA | Seattle, WA | Kansas City, MO |
| Montana | Vail, CO | Bozeman, MT | Big Sky, MT |
| Nebraska | Vail, CO | Maui, HI | Branson, MO |
| Nevada | New Orleans, LA | Florida Keys, FL | Yosemite, CA |
| New Hampshire | White Mountain, NH | Orlando, FL | Sedona, AZ |
| New Jersey | Stowe, VT | Atlantic City, NJ | Key West, FL |
| New Mexico | Sedona, AZ | Oahu, HI | Albuquerque, NM |
| New York | Bethany Beach, DE | Poconos, NY | Martha’s Vineyard, MA |
| North Carolina | Lake Tahoe, CA | Asheville, NC | Isle of Palms, SC |
| North Dakota | Big Sky, MT | Minneapolis, MN | Duluth, MN |
| Ohio | Smoky Mountains, TN | Gatlinburg, TN | Hocking Hills, OH |
| Oklahoma | Tulsa, OK | Florida Keys, FL | Lake Tahoe, CA |
| Oregon | Cannon Beach. OR | Portland, OR | Bend, OR |
| Pennsylvania | Destin, FL | Poconos, NY | Cape May, NJ |
| Rhode Island | Block Island, RI | Narragansett, RI | Bar Harbor, ME |
| South Carolina | Nashville, TN | Isle of Palms, SC | Myrtle Beach, SC |
| South Dakota | Rapid City, SD | Deadwood, SD | Sioux Falls, SD |
| Tennessee | Nashville, TN | Gatlinburg, TN | Chattanooga, TN |
| Texas | Breckenridge, CO | Houston, TX | Las Vegas, NV |
| Utah | Orlando, FL | Cannon Beach, OR | Lake Tahoe, CA |
| Vermont | Martha’s Vineyard, MA | Stowe, VT | Lake Champlain, VT |
| Virginia | Asheville, NC | Rehoboth, DE | Key West, FL |
| Washington | Cannon Beach, OR | Maui, HI | Seattle, WA |
| West Virginia | Tybee Island,GA | Cape Cod, MA | Martha’s Vineyard, MA |
| Wisconsin | Milwaukee, WI | Nashville, TN | San Diego, CA |
| Wyoming | Big Sky, MT | Bozeman, MT | Steamboat Springs, CO |
Research Methodology
We analyzed Google Search Data from August 8, 2016 to August 8, 2017 to find average search values for each destination over the time period. We then analyzed search trends specifically for the August-September time period. After comparing the percentage difference in annual average traffic vs labor day traffic, we can conclude these are the top destinations according to Google Search trends for each specific state and nationwide.
