US holiday air travel by airport and state

44 holiday periods · updated 2026-11-07 · methodology

How US air travel did over every major holiday since 2018: TSA checkpoint screenings nationwide, by state and by airport, with international arrivals from CBP. The latest is Columbus Day 2026: TSA screened 16,101,156 passengers nationwide over the Columbus Day 2026 travel period (Thu, Oct 8 – Tue, Oct 13, 2026), down 3.1% from 16,613,990 over the same period a year earlier. The busiest day was Friday, October 9, with 2,914,371 screenings.

Memorial Day

Travel period: the Thursday before Memorial Day through the Tuesday after (6 days).

Memorial Day travel periods, TSA screenings nationwide (exact).
Holiday	Dates	TSA screenings	YoY	Busiest day
Memorial Day 2026	Thu, May 21 – Tue, May 26, 2026	16,056,585	-0.8%	2,976,209
Memorial Day 2025	Thu, May 22 – Tue, May 27, 2025	16,189,069	+1.1%	3,010,183
Memorial Day 2024	Thu, May 23 – Tue, May 28, 2024	16,018,771	+8.0%	2,951,859
Memorial Day 2023	Thu, May 25 – Tue, May 30, 2023	14,827,497	+11.2%	2,744,596
Memorial Day 2022	Thu, May 26 – Tue, May 31, 2022	13,335,036	+24.4%	2,399,579
Memorial Day 2021	Thu, May 27 – Tue, Jun 1, 2021	10,718,692	+455.6%	1,969,075
Memorial Day 2020	Thu, May 21 – Tue, May 26, 2020	1,929,364	-86.8%	373,069
Memorial Day 2019	Thu, May 23 – Tue, May 28, 2019	14,196,042	+4.5%	2,715,704

Fourth of July

Travel period: July 1 through July 7 (7 days).

Fourth of July travel periods, TSA screenings nationwide (exact).
Holiday	Dates	TSA screenings	YoY	Busiest day
Fourth of July 2026	Wed, Jul 1 – Tue, Jul 7, 2026	18,407,527	-1.2%	2,914,375
Fourth of July 2025	Tue, Jul 1 – Mon, Jul 7, 2025	18,624,688	+1.4%	3,041,954
Fourth of July 2024	Mon, Jul 1 – Sun, Jul 7, 2024	18,363,657	+8.0%	3,013,622
Fourth of July 2023	Sat, Jul 1 – Fri, Jul 7, 2023	17,002,311	+10.0%	2,588,334
Fourth of July 2022	Fri, Jul 1 – Thu, Jul 7, 2022	15,451,212	+10.9%	2,501,366
Fourth of July 2021	Thu, Jul 1 – Wed, Jul 7, 2021	13,929,958	+181.5%	2,205,102
Fourth of July 2020	Wed, Jul 1 – Tue, Jul 7, 2020	4,947,796	-70.5%	800,456
Fourth of July 2019	Mon, Jul 1 – Sun, Jul 7, 2019	16,261,410	+7.1%	2,718,001

Labor Day

Travel period: the Thursday before Labor Day through the Tuesday after (6 days).

Labor Day travel periods, TSA screenings nationwide (exact).
Holiday	Dates	TSA screenings	YoY	Busiest day
Labor Day 2026	Thu, Sep 3 – Tue, Sep 8, 2026	14,825,477	-4.2%	2,815,644
Labor Day 2025	Thu, Aug 28 – Tue, Sep 2, 2025	15,483,392	+2.8%	2,971,455
Labor Day 2024	Thu, Aug 29 – Tue, Sep 3, 2024	15,063,764	+4.4%	2,913,547
Labor Day 2023	Thu, Aug 31 – Tue, Sep 5, 2023	14,422,939	+9.4%	2,742,962
Labor Day 2022	Thu, Sep 1 – Tue, Sep 6, 2022	13,185,878	+20.5%	2,479,578
Labor Day 2021	Thu, Sep 2 – Tue, Sep 7, 2021	10,946,662	+115.4%	2,137,114
Labor Day 2020	Thu, Sep 3 – Tue, Sep 8, 2020	5,081,721	-62.0%	1,011,740

Columbus Day

Travel period: the Thursday before Columbus Day (Indigenous Peoples' Day, the second Monday of October) through the Tuesday after (6 days).

Columbus Day travel periods, TSA screenings nationwide (exact).
Holiday	Dates	TSA screenings	YoY	Busiest day
Columbus Day 2026	Thu, Oct 8 – Tue, Oct 13, 2026	16,101,156	-3.1%	2,914,371
Columbus Day 2025	Thu, Oct 9 – Tue, Oct 14, 2025	16,613,990	+7.6%	3,017,612
Columbus Day 2024	Thu, Oct 10 – Tue, Oct 15, 2024	15,446,327	+0.6%	2,840,414
Columbus Day 2023	Thu, Oct 5 – Tue, Oct 10, 2023	15,358,421	+12.3%	2,762,717
Columbus Day 2022	Thu, Oct 6 – Tue, Oct 11, 2022	13,670,990	+15.3%	2,473,989
Columbus Day 2021	Thu, Oct 7 – Tue, Oct 12, 2021	11,861,439	+114.0%	2,178,818
Columbus Day 2020	Thu, Oct 8 – Tue, Oct 13, 2020	5,541,663	-62.7%	1,025,511

Thanksgiving

Travel period: the Tuesday before Thanksgiving through the Monday after (7 days), the period TSA itself reports.

Thanksgiving travel periods, TSA screenings nationwide (exact).
Holiday	Dates	TSA screenings	YoY	Busiest day
Thanksgiving 2025	Tue, Nov 25 – Mon, Dec 1, 2025	18,104,378	+0.1%	3,134,613
Thanksgiving 2024	Tue, Nov 26 – Mon, Dec 2, 2024	18,080,093	+4.6%	3,088,836
Thanksgiving 2023	Tue, Nov 21 – Mon, Nov 27, 2023	17,282,982	+10.7%	2,908,785
Thanksgiving 2022	Tue, Nov 22 – Mon, Nov 28, 2022	15,612,784	+6.7%	2,639,616
Thanksgiving 2021	Tue, Nov 23 – Mon, Nov 29, 2021	14,634,984	+123.4%	2,458,325
Thanksgiving 2020	Tue, Nov 24 – Mon, Nov 30, 2020	6,551,371	-60.9%	1,179,933
Thanksgiving 2019	Tue, Nov 26 – Mon, Dec 2, 2019	16,273,479	+2.9%	2,809,889
Thanksgiving 2018	Tue, Nov 20 – Mon, Nov 26, 2018	15,811,484	+6.1%	2,661,847

Christmas and New Year

Travel period: December 20 through January 2 (14 days).

Christmas and New Year travel periods, TSA screenings nationwide (exact).
Holiday	Dates	TSA screenings	YoY	Busiest day
Christmas and New Year 2025	Sat, Dec 20, 2025 – Fri, Jan 2, 2026	36,727,073	+1.2%	2,924,593
Christmas and New Year 2024	Fri, Dec 20, 2024 – Thu, Jan 2, 2025	36,294,666	+4.6%	2,848,156
Christmas and New Year 2023	Wed, Dec 20, 2023 – Tue, Jan 2, 2024	34,685,378	+14.8%	2,775,193
Christmas and New Year 2022	Tue, Dec 20, 2022 – Mon, Jan 2, 2023	30,205,987	+11.0%	2,428,528
Christmas and New Year 2021	Mon, Dec 20, 2021 – Sun, Jan 2, 2022	27,218,417	+82.1%	2,197,896
Christmas and New Year 2020	Sun, Dec 20, 2020 – Sat, Jan 2, 2021	14,944,402	-56.3%	1,334,030

Frequently asked questions

What is the busiest travel day of the year?

Over the holiday periods tracked here, the busiest single day was Sunday, November 30, 2025 (Thanksgiving 2025), with 3,134,613 TSA screenings.