That’s a wrap: 2022’s top road trip trends and destinations

As we put 2022 in the rearview mirror, we’re looking back at some of the year’s most popular road trip destinations and trends. Based on trip planning data and survey responses, Roadtrippers users planned more than 3.9 million road trips in 2022, stretching from Alaska to the southern tip of Florida.

You visited national parks, stayed in classic roadside motels, and got your kicks on Route 66. You traveled with partners and family, and your average route distance was 1,000 miles. Keep reading for even more road trip takeaways from 2022.

Top 20 Extraordinary Places added to trips

Roadtrippers’ database of Extraordinary Places features the most spectacular, can’t-miss locations around the country—from majestic natural wonders to meaningful monuments to oversized roadside attractions. A significant portion of the top 20 Extraordinary Places added to trips in 2022 are along Route 66. This includes the number one stop, Oklahoma’s Blue Whale of Catoosa, a former swimming hole that gets particularly festive during the holidays.

But whether you’re drawn to the evolving public art of Amarillo’s Cadillac Ranch or looking to sell your soul for guitar licks at the Devil’s Crossroads in Mississippi, all of these Extraordinary Places are well worth a visit.

GIF of a map showing a road trip route from Gateway Arch to the Blue Whale in Oklahoma

1. Blue Whale of Catoosa
2. Wigwam Motel No. 7
3. Santa Monica Pier
4. Cadillac Ranch
5. Wigwam Motel No. 6
6. Grand Canyon National Park
7. Yellowstone National Park
8. Badlands National Park
9. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
10. Gateway Arch National Park

11. Acadia National Park
12. Golden Gate Bridge
13. Havasu Falls
14. The Alamo
15. Space Needle
16. Carhenge
17. The Manitou Cliff Dwellings
18. Coral Castle
19. Devil’s Crossroads
20. Motown Museum

Add these Extraordinary Places to your next trip

Highlights

85 percent of survey respondents said that finding Extraordinary Places is their favorite road trip activity.
Almost half of the 20 most added stops are along or near Route 66.

Top 10 national parks added to trips

Thanks to its abundance of scenic vistas, the West is always the most popular region for national park visits—but Roadtrippers users kept things interesting this year by increasing their visits to parks throughout the U.S. Intricate cave systems, colossal arches, and towering trees clearly piqued your interest in 2022, but not enough to shake Yellowstone, the nation’s first national park, out of the top three.

Arches
Zion
Yellowstone
Grand Canyon
Yosemite
Glacier
Badlands
Crater Lake
Great Sand Dunes
Gateway Arch

Add these national parks to your next trip

Highlights

Last year, more people planned a visit to Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Zion national parks than they did this year.
Parks with increased planned stops in 2022 compared to 2021 include Gateway Arch, Mesa Verde, Rocky Mountain, Redwood, and Mammoth Cave national parks.

Top 10 state parks added to trips

Even though one state—New York—may have won the 2022 state park popularity contest, Roadtrippers users aren’t partial to any single region, landscape, or attraction. From hot desert ecosystems and petroglyphs to thrilling waterfalls near the Canadian border, these state parks had roadtrippers traveling near and far for unique experiences this past year.

Niagara Falls
Maquoketa Caves
Watkins Glen
Custer
Valley of Fire
Palo Duro Canyon
Hanging Rock
Cumberland Falls
Pfeiffer Big Sur
Letchworth State Park

Add these state parks to your next trip

Highlights

Maquoketa Caves and Watkins Glen saw increased popularity among Roadtrippers users in 2022.
Half of the state parks on this list are east of the Mississippi River, with three in New York state.

Top 10 states with the most stops added to trips

As Roadtrippers users leaned heavily westward when it came to states with the most planned stops this year, it’s no surprise that Missouri, the one Midwestern state to sneak onto the list, is home of the “Gateway to the West.” While a few of last year’s most popular states didn’t make the cut in 2022, the top five remained unchallenged.

Graphic highlighting 10 states on a blue background

California
Arizona
Utah
Wyoming
Colorado
Texas
South Dakota
New Mexico
Oregon
Missouri

Highlights

Oregon and Missouri are new in the top 10 this year, replacing Tennessee and Montana; Texas saw more stops planned in 2022 compared to 2021.

Top 10 cities for starting a road trip

As we all know, road trips are more about the journey than the destination—but no matter where we’re going, we all have to start somewhere. In 2022, travelers hit the road from all across the country, but cities in the desert Southwest, in the Pacific Northwest, and along the California Coast were the most popular places from which to launch a road trip.

Graphic highlighting cities in 8 states on a green background

Las Vegas
Los Angeles
Denver
Seattle
Nashville
Portland
San Francisco
San Diego
Chicago
Orlando

Highlights

Only three cities on this list are east of the Mississippi River: Nashville, Orlando, and Chicago.

How roadtrippers traveled this year

We surveyed our users this year to get a better understanding of road trip habits and vehicle preferences. We found that you travel far and often—on average, four road trips per year—and most of you travel with your significant other. Electric vehicles are here to stay, and Roadtrippers users are getting on board. But it’s not all smooth sailing—charging station availability is still a major hurdle.