The total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 could draw 1 million tourists in Texas, according to solar visitor estimates from GreatAmericanEclipse.com eclipse cartographer Michael Seiler. , Indiana and Ohio could see 500,000 people travel.
You may have heard about a particular event, what the city is promoting, or the best beautiful spots to view the eclipse.
But where will people go on April 8th?
Related: Total solar eclipse in 2024: Live updates
Seiler’s amazing calculations are based on ArcGIS software and data from the U.S. Census Bureau, as well as the United States’ detailed digital road network. These calculations reveal millions of real-world destinations for April 8th. The data contains some important data. A lesson for all eclipse chasers.
If you haven’t decided yet where to watch the eclipse, this analysis will help you predict where most people will go, allowing you to plan ahead or go off the beaten path. Masu.
However, if you can’t attend the eclipse in person, you can get the latest eclipse content on our eclipse live blog and watch the total eclipse unfold live here on Space.com.
The shortest driving path to total roads from all over the United States. (Image credit: Michael Zeiler/GreatAmericanEclipse.com)
How many people will experience wholeness?
This total solar eclipse will be one of the most watched to date. On April 8, a 115-mile (185-kilometer) road will cross North America from northern Mexico to southeastern Canada, passing through parts of 15 U.S. states. More than 32 million people in the United States live along this road. Compare this to his 12 million people who lived inside a total solar eclipse during the last total solar eclipse in the United States on August 21, 2017. Seiler predicts that on the day of the eclipse he will travel from 931,000 to 3.7 million people from outside the path of the total solar eclipse.
How many people live on the Path of Perfection per state? (Image credit: Michael Zeiler/GreatAmericanEclipse.com)
Where do solar eclipse chasers go in search of solar eclipses?
According to this data, that would be Texas, Indiana, and Ohio. “At best, the number of eclipse visitors to most of Texas on April 8 next year will be just over 1 million,” Seiler wrote. “Next are Indiana and Ohio, each expected to have a high estimate of about 500,000 people.”
Texas is popular not only because it has the longest total observation period of 4 minutes and 26 seconds in the United States, but also because eclipse climatologist Jay Anderson writes on the eclipse climatologist website: This is also because it states that the frequency of cloudy weather increases as the weather progresses. The road heads northeast. Therefore, the best chance of sunshine is in Texas. Those who plan well in advance will be studying these climate projections. They also study the map of total paths and aim to get as close as possible to the center line of the path with maximum duration.
Related: Why April’s total solar eclipse will provide a unique view of the sun’s corona
However, people who decide to travel at the last minute are more likely to head to the location closest to where they live, and DriveShed’s data shows that people living near total roads are more likely to visit. The highest is also considered. . This is the geographic analysis at the heart of Seiler’s prediction.
There’s a significant random element to all of this, as many eclipse enthusiasts decide where to view the eclipse based on weather forecasts for days and even hours ahead.
Most crowded city for solar eclipse
The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolis is the most densely populated area within the path of totality. (Image credit: RF Pictures via Getty Images)
This entire road not only reaches the densely populated northeastern United States, but also includes several important metropolises. Approximately one-third of the people living inside this alley live in just her 10 cities, including Mazatlan, Torreon, Dallas, Austin, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Montreal. However, there are also some large cities just outside the road. Seiler predicts major traffic jams will occur from San Antonio, Houston, Memphis, St. Louis, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit and Pittsburgh.
Then there’s the eastern coast. “Half of the U.S. population lives within 400 miles of total orbit. Think of the impact of that,” Seiler told Space.com. “It’s right on the east coast, and all the major cities from Boston to Philadelphia are within 200 or 250 miles of this road.”
Busiest places in Texas for solar eclipse
Texas will see the most tourists on April 8, 2024. (Image credit: Michael Zeiler/GreatAmericanEclipse.com)
“Texas will be the epicenter of this eclipse,” Seiler said. “There are 12 million people in Texas who already live inside this road. All they have to do is step outside their porch and see the most glorious sight of their lives.”
Texas is likely to be the “it” state for this eclipse, but the Hill Country region will be the most visited state. For example, the Dallas-Forth Worth area has a population of approximately 7 million people. Still, Seiler predicts only 24,500 to 90,000 people will travel there for the eclipse (though visiting relatives and friends could significantly increase that number). ). Perhaps the most visited Hill Country destination in Texas is Kerrville, with a population of 24,000. The main reason for this is that it’s easily accessible from San Antonio, which is at the southern end of the road. Kerrville will acquire 4 minutes and 25 seconds of totality and host NASA’s Kerrville Solar Eclipse Festival.
“People will realize that just by driving for an hour on Interstate 10, which runs northwest from San Antonio to here, you can go from zero totality to four minutes totality,” said Schreiner Associate Professor of Physics. Kim Arvidsson told Space.com. They will be hosting an event in Kerrville, Texas on April 8th. “There will be a significant increase in traffic that day.” Those coming from Austin will have to go a little further. “Fredericksburg seems like a likely destination for people in Austin, but it’s also possible they could be stopped in Johnson City,” Arvidson said.
Many other locations in Texas may also be crowded that day. As it turns out, clear skies are where eclipse-chasers are headed, and that could mean places like Eagle Pass, Del Rio, Uvalde and Bandera. “Visitor estimates are low in the Uvalde and Eagle Pass areas, but additional eclipse chasers are expected due to strong weather potential,” Seiler wrote. “A bonus in rural Texas is the amazing night sky.”
Most popular places in the Midwest to watch the solar eclipse
Dark skies could be an attraction for rural areas of Arkansas and Missouri. (Image credit: Michael Zeiler/GreatAmericanEclipse.com)
Rural areas of Arkansas may also experience high numbers of visitors due to dark skies, but this area near major interstates and large cities will benefit from a significant increase in visitor numbers on eclipse days. Looks like I’ll get it.
Seiler predicts the number could reach 170,000 in Russellville, Arkansas and Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and 260,000 in Carbondale, Illinois. The latter will host the Southern Illinois Crossroads Eclipse Festival at Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Saluki Stadium. Southern Illinois will be congested, with Nashville, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri on either side of the road.
“Indianapolis and its surrounding suburbs will receive many visitors from the Chicago area,” Seiler wrote, adding that up to 432,000 people could visit the city’s southern suburbs along the Center Line. I expect there will be.
Be careful on Interstate 90
Residents of Columbus and Detroit, which lie just outside the totality event, will help buzz Ohio on the day of the eclipse. Seiler advises avoiding routes north of Columbus and south of Detroit.
The latter would mean flying Interstate 90 next to Lake Erie from Detroit to Cleveland (where 113,000 people could visit). Two little-talked-about destinations, Upper Sandusky and Norwalk, Ohio, can each receive more than 100,000 visitors, according to data. However, Interstate 90 could help eclipse chasers travel north and south between Cleveland and Buffalo in search of clear skies.
One spot that can get crowded is Erie, Pennsylvania, mostly because it’s an ideal destination for Pittsburghers. Zeiler expects between 52,000 and 208,000 people could visit.
According to these numbers, three other surprising locations in the northeastern United States could be crowded on eclipse day. Watertown and Plattsburgh, New York, are centrally located and easily accessible from the south, potentially drawing more than 170,000 visitors. That also applies to Richford, on the Vermont-Canada border, which could draw as many as 142,000 people.
