Florida
9.3M overseas visitors
Top 10 most visited US states in 2025
Florida was the most visited US state in 2025, with 9.3 million overseas visitors, ahead of New York and California. Below: all ten, ranked and mapped, with what each one is known for.
34.3M
overseas visitors to the US
68.3M
international arrivals, with Canada and Mexico
5/10
of the top 10 on the Atlantic coast
New York
9.1M overseas visitors
California
6.6M overseas visitors
Map of the most visited US states
The ten, shaded by overseas visitors: the darker the green, the more visitors. Florida and New York are almost level; after California, no state reaches a quarter of Florida’s figure.
Overseas visitors, 2025
Top 10 US states by overseas visitors, 2025
Ranked by overseas visitors. Each bar is the green the map gives that state, and its length is a share of Florida’s 9.3 million.
- Florida9.3M
- New York9.1M
- California6.6M
Nevada2.3M
Texas1.9M
Hawaii1.8M
Massachusetts1.4M
Illinois1.3M
New Jersey1.2M
Georgia1.0M
Overseas only
Canada and Mexico, the two biggest sources of visitors to the US, are not in these figures. They count travellers from overseas, who nearly all arrive by air.
Visits, not visitors
A trip to New York and Florida counts once in each. That is why the ten states add up to more than the 34.3 million people who came.
A survey, so read it in steps
The figures are estimates from a survey of air travellers, so close neighbours can swap places. Georgia, tenth, is just 17,000 ahead of Arizona.
Sources: National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), U.S. States and Cities Visited by Overseas Visitors 2025, from its Survey of International Air Travelers. Compiled October 2026.
How many of the top 10 have you seen?
Tap the states you’ve been to on an interactive map of the US and watch your count grow. Free, no sign-up.
Why go: what the top 10 US states are known for
The ranking measures traffic. Here is what draws visitors to each state, when to go, and what it is known for.
No. 1
Florida
Sun and Everglades
Most come for Orlando’s theme parks and Miami’s beaches, then drive south over the bridges of the Keys or west into the sawgrass of the Everglades. The Gulf coast is quieter, with white sand from Clearwater to Naples.
- Best time
- November to April, before the heat and the hurricane season
- Known for
- Walt Disney World, Miami Beach, the Keys, the Everglades
No. 2
New York
City and wilderness
For most visitors it is New York City: the Statue of Liberty, Broadway, the museums along Fifth Avenue and a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Niagara Falls is a day’s drive away, the Hudson Valley an hour by train.
- Best time
- April to June, and September to early November
- Known for
- Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, Broadway, Niagara Falls
No. 3
California
Coast and Sierra
Los Angeles and San Francisco are the gateways, and the drive between them on Highway 1 along Big Sur is the trip many come for. Yosemite Valley, the giant sequoias and the desert of Joshua Tree are each a few hours inland.
- Best time
- April to October; September is warm and clear on the coast
- Known for
- Hollywood, the Golden Gate Bridge, Yosemite, Big Sur
No. 4
Nevada
Neon and desert
Las Vegas is why most come: the casinos and shows of the Strip, and a base for the national parks of the Southwest. The Grand Canyon’s West Rim, Death Valley and Zion are each within a day’s drive.
- Best time
- March to May and October to November, outside the desert summer
- Known for
- The Las Vegas Strip, Hoover Dam, Lake Tahoe, Valley of Fire
No. 5
Texas
Hill Country to Big Bend
Houston and Dallas are the gateways. From there visitors head for the River Walk and the Alamo in San Antonio, the music clubs of Austin, the Gulf beaches of Galveston and, far to the west, the canyons of Big Bend.
- Best time
- March to May, when the Hill Country wildflowers bloom
- Known for
- The Alamo, Austin’s music scene, barbecue, Big Bend
No. 6
Hawaii
Islands of fire
Most fly into Honolulu for Waikiki Beach and Pearl Harbor, and many add a second island: Maui for the road to Hana, the Big Island for its active volcanoes, Kauai for the cliffs of the Na Pali coast.
- Best time
- April to May and September to October, between the busy seasons
- Known for
- Waikiki, Pearl Harbor, Kilauea, the Na Pali coast
No. 7
Massachusetts
History and Cape Cod
Boston is the draw: the Freedom Trail, Harvard and MIT across the river in Cambridge, and a city small enough to walk. In summer visitors go on to Cape Cod and the islands; in autumn, west to the Berkshires.
- Best time
- June to October; late September for the leaves
- Known for
- The Freedom Trail, Harvard, Cape Cod, Fenway Park
No. 8
Illinois
Chicago and the prairie
Almost every visitor comes for Chicago: the towers along the river, the Art Institute, Millennium Park and miles of lakefront beach. Route 66 starts downtown on Adams Street, for anyone who wants to drive it west.
- Best time
- May to September; winters on the lake are hard
- Known for
- The Chicago skyline, deep-dish pizza, the Art Institute, Route 66
No. 9
New Jersey
Shore and boardwalks
Many overseas visitors stay here for New York: Newark’s airport and the towns across the Hudson are minutes from Manhattan. Those who look further find the Jersey Shore, Victorian Cape May and the forests of the Pine Barrens.
- Best time
- June to September for the shore
- Known for
- The Jersey Shore, Cape May, Atlantic City, Liberty State Park
No. 10
Georgia
Southern charm
Atlanta’s airport brings most of them in, and the city holds Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthplace and the Georgia Aquarium. Savannah, four hours away, is the trip many remember, its squares shaded by live oaks.
- Best time
- March to May and October to November
- Known for
- Savannah’s squares, Atlanta, the Golden Isles, peaches
Track the US states you have visited
Tap the states you’ve been to on an interactive map of the US, watch your count grow, and share the map. Free, with no sign-up.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions people ask most.
What is the most visited US state?
Florida, with 9.34 million overseas visitors in 2025 according to the National Travel and Tourism Office, just ahead of New York with 9.09 million. California is third with 6.61 million.
Did Florida overtake New York?
Yes. In 2024 New York led with about 9.8 million overseas visitors. In 2025 Florida gained 480,000 and New York lost 715,000, and the two swapped places.
How many overseas visitors came to the US in 2025?
34.3 million. With visitors from Canada and Mexico, the US received 68.3 million international arrivals, the third most of any country, as the world ranking shows.
Which state just misses the top 10?
Arizona, with 1.02 million overseas visitors, 17,000 fewer than Georgia. Guam, a US territory, comes next with 864,000, then Pennsylvania with 806,000.
Can I mark the states I have visited here?
Not on this page: it is a reference ranking. The interactive map of the US is the one that keeps a tally of the states you have been to.