The Most Popular Spring Break Destinations

Some underrated U.S. cities and states are growing in popularity this spring, based on Google search data analyzed by the online visibility management platform Semrush.

U.S. Google searches from January 2021 to January 2023 reveal a 600 percent increase in searches for “spring break in Memphis” and a 550 percent increase in searches for “spring break in St. Louis.”

Some surprising states are also gaining momentum this spring, including Rhode Island, where Google searches for spring break travel jumped by 350 percent. Ohio and Kansas have also seen a spike in interest, with searches increasing 255 percent and 250 percent, respectively, according to Semrush’s research.

The five most popular states for spring break this year offer travelers plenty of warm weather, sunshine and beach time. Florida leads the way, of course, followed by Texas, Utah, California and Arizona. The Sunshine State is also home to three of the most popular spring break cities in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Daytona Beach.

Other coveted U.S. cities, according to Semrush, include Myrtle Beach, New York City and New Orleans.

Internationally, Toronto and Amsterdam are heating up this season, with each experiencing a 1,000 percent increase in Google searches. Meanwhile, countries picking up steam include Italy, Portugal, Iceland and Spain, where Google searches have increased anywhere from 600 percent to 1,300 percent.

Looking solely at popularity, Mexico is the most sought-after spring break destination abroad in 2023, followed by the Bahamas, Canada and Jamaica.

Semrush has also seen a spike in interest in spring break cruise vacations, with searches for “spring break cruise” increasing by a remarkable 1,284.6 percent.

Allianz Partners also recently released its annual Top 10 Spring Break Destinations review, revealing the most in-demand U.S. cities and places abroad this spring.