SANTA FE, N.M., Dec. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — On April 8, 2024, a Total Solar Eclipse will sweep across the United States from Texas to Maine sending millions of Americans into darkness.
31 million Americans currently live inside the path of totality.
Millions more will travel on eclipse day to witness nature’s greatest sight.
Knowing how many people may come, and the places they will gather is important information for communities, first responders, and businesses inside the path.
To aid community planners and help eclipse visitors avoid the worst traffic, Great American Eclipse has developed a geographic model to estimate how many people will travel to see the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024. This model predicts that between 1 and 4 million people will travel to the path of totality. We predict that Texas will receive the majority of visitors, followed by Indiana, Ohio, New York, Arkansas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Oklahoma, Maine, and New Hampshire.
“It will likely be the most-viewed astronomical event in American history. When you combine the populations of Mexico, USA, and Canada that live inside the path of totality, and add all of those who will travel on eclipse day, a total of 50 million North Americans witnessing totality is possible” ~ says Michael Zeiler, expert eclipse cartographer and co-founder of Great American Eclipse.
“It’s like having 50 Super Bowls happening at the same time all across the country” ~ says Great American Eclipse co-founder, Polly White. The Super Bowl typically draws 80,000 people total. Multiply that by 50, and you have our high-range prediction for eclipse tourism. And this does not include Mexico or Canada.
Texas will enjoy the majority of eclipse visitors with a high estimate of just over a million visitors. Next are Indiana and Ohio which can expect a high estimate of about half million people each. Heavy traffic will come from nearby metropolises such as San Antonio, Houston, Memphis, St Louis, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, and Pittsburgh.
An example of a remarkable potential influx is the area near Kerrville, Texas, northwest of San Antonio, which could see as many as 488,000 visitors.
