Leavenworth tops national list of trending Thanksgiving destinations

LEAVENWORTH — Leavenworth is the most-searched trending Thanksgiving destination in the United States this year, according to a holiday travel report released Thursday, Sept. 24, by vacation rental marketplace HomeToGo.

Searches for Thanksgiving stays in the Bavarian-themed town were up 347% compared with last year, putting Leavenworth at No. 1 on the company's list of top-trending Thanksgiving destinations. It was followed by Boone, North Carolina (up 275%); Jackson Hole, Wyoming (213%); Park City, Utah (202%); and Highlands, North Carolina (181%).

HomeToGo, a Berlin-based company that operates vacation rental sites in 30 countries, said Thanksgiving travelers are staying closer to home this year and seeking out "cozy cabin getaways" in destinations like Leavenworth, Boone and Jackson Hole, all of which saw search increases of more than 200%.

"While Thanksgiving has people staying closer to home than any other holiday, mindsets seem to shift as we move toward Christmas and New Year's Eve," said Eleanor Moody, a HomeToGo spokesperson and travel expert.

According to the company's data:

• 87% of Thanksgiving searches were for domestic destinations — the highest share of any holiday in the report — with searches for U.S. getaways up 8.4% from 2025.
• Rural locations accounted for 85% of all Thanksgiving weekend searches.
• The average Thanksgiving travel group is six guests, up 13.9% from last year, the largest increase of any holiday in the report.
• Thanksgiving trips average seven days, and travelers go an average of 1,070 miles — the shortest distance of any holiday studied.

The report, based on HomeToGo's search data, also ranked trending destinations for Indigenous Peoples' Day/Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Christmas and New Year's Eve. McCall, Idaho, led the fall holiday list, and Steamboat Springs, Colorado, topped the Christmas rankings. All 10 of the top-trending New Year's Eve destinations were international, led by Milan, Italy.

Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26. The Thanksgiving weekend traditionally kicks off Leavenworth's holiday season, with the Village of Lights celebration drawing visitors through December.

The full report is available at hometogo.com/news/holiday-travel-report-2026.