In partnership with the National Scenic Byway Association, Corridor Solutions surveyed 600 U.S. residents to understand awareness of America 250, interest in related travel, and – most importantly – what distinguishes the people who already choose scenic routes.
What we found is encouraging for every byway organization, advocate, and partner:
The travelers who drive scenic routes are the travelers who are most excited about America 250.
The survey data indicates that they are more aware, more interested, and far more likely to take a trip to experience an America 250 destination, event, or story. In other words: the audience byways already serve is the very audience most eager for this once-in-a-generation celebration.
A More Aware, More Engaged Traveler
Among people who had driven a scenic route or byway in the past year, 61% had already heard of America 250 – compared with just 42% among those who had not. This higher awareness speaks to something deeper: byway travelers are naturally tuned into the cultural and historic dimensions of the places they visit. They come looking for meaning, for story, and for a connection to “real America.” America 250 aligns seamlessly with what they value most.
A Stronger Desire to Participate
Interest in events follows the same pattern. Scenic-route travelers expressed significantly greater enthusiasm for America 250 events and experiences: 78% said they were interested or very interested (with 40% “very interested”), while only 52% of non-scenic travelers felt the same. This suggests that byways will not have to work hard to sell America 250 – the desire is already there.
The Most Likely Travelers for America 250
The biggest difference in the data – and the most meaningful for byway communities – is willingness to take a trip. More than half (56%) of scenic-route travelers said they are likely or very likely to take an America 250-related trip. In contrast, only 20% of non-scenic travelers expressed interest, and the majority said they were unlikely to travel for the celebration at all. This is the clearest signal in the entire survey: America 250’s strongest travel audience is already on our roads.
A Higher-Value Traveler for Rural Communities
Scenic route travelers in the survey also tend to travel more, stay longer, and visit multiple places along the way. They take more overnight trips each year – and when they do, they stay 3 to 5 nights at significantly higher rates than non-scenic travelers. These longer, deeper experiences align perfectly with the strengths of byways: small towns, layered stories, scenic pullouts, cultural landscapes, and clusters of historic sites.
What This Means for Byway Communities
Taken together, the data paints a clear and optimistic picture: Byway travelers are the America 250 traveler. They are motivated, heritage-minded, curious, and seeking exactly the kinds of experiences that byways provide naturally.
For byway organizations, this moment is an invitation. America 250 is not just a national milestone – it’s an opportunity to lift up local stories, highlight the places where American history lives in the landscape, and welcome travelers who arrive already eager to connect.
This is a time to lean into what byways do best:
- Crafting itineraries that link small towns, historic sites, and scenic vistas
- Strengthening digital resources so travelers can easily understand where to go and what to experience
- Encouraging multi-day exploration by organizing stories into themes, routes, and weekend-scale journeys
- Connecting history to landscape in ways that feel personal, grounded, and memorable
America 250 represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reconnect travelers with the nation’s heritage, and scenic byways offer one of the most accessible, meaningful ways to experience it. The data tells us something powerful: the people most excited about America 250 are already choosing the routes we manage, the landscapes we steward, and the communities we serve.
Our task now is simple and inspiring: To meet that enthusiasm with strong stories, welcoming communities, and thoughtful itineraries that help travelers experience the America they came looking for.