Most Popular Destinations Along the Solar Eclipse’s Path of Totality

by Laurie Baratti
Last updated: 4:10 PM ET, Thu February 29, 2024

If you’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Great American Solar Eclipse on April 8, then possibly you’re also among the estimated one to four million people who will be traveling to see the celestial event in all its glory.

And, surely you know by now that, in order to see the sun entirely eclipsed by the moon’s shadow, you’ll need to place yourself somewhere along the path of totality. If you’re located anywhere in North America outside of that path, you’ll only be seeing a partial solar eclipse, due to the moon’s trajectory in relation to the Earth.

A new report from Airbnb has revealed a staggering 1,000-percent increase in searches on its platform for places to stay along the historic eclipse’s path of totality across the continent. All because people are entranced by the rare opportunity to see the moon block out the sun for as much as four and three-quarter minutes.

According to Airbnb, it has 15 times the number of listings along the path of totality in North America as there are hotels along the same route. It also argues that vacation rentals are preferable to hotels in this situation, since they offer more private amenities, including front or backyards from which to gaze up into the sky wearing solar glasses.

Extreme interest in the total solar eclipse is not surprising, given that this will be the last time such an event will be visible in North America for more than two decades to come. And, eagerness to witness the celestial happening is high enough to truly help drive travel this spring across areas of Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.

To help consumers figure out where they’ll want to go to witness the cosmic phenomenon, Airbnb produced a list of the top trending destinations that lie along the Great American Solar Eclipse’s path of totality. It also reports that when it comes to people making the pilgrimage to gaze skyward on April 8, the highest number of travelers are coming out from New York City and Mexico City.

Group of people watching a solar eclipse through solar viewing glasses.

Airbnb also notes that there’s still time to find an ideal location from which to view the once-in-a-generation celestial event, as new hosts across North America are opening their homes for the first time to meet demand. It said that more than 40 percent of private rental accommodations along the path of totality remain available for booking.

The most popular cities along the path of totality are: