Canadian residents took 2.4 million trips to the United States in April 2026, a 1.8 per cent increase from the same month a year earlier, according to Statistics Canada’s monthly travel data. This marks the first monthly year-over-year rise since U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term began in January 2025.
Road trips drive the increase
The overall increase was fueled by an 8.1 per cent jump in road trips by Canadians from the U.S., totaling 1.5 million trips. Of those, 65 per cent were same-day excursions. However, air travel declined 7.1 per cent year over year to 805,900 trips, and return trips by cruise ship fell 38.5 per cent to just 3,900.
Long-term decline persists
Despite the monthly uptick, Canadian travel to the U.S. remains well below pre-2025 levels. Compared to April 2024, trips to the U.S. dropped 26.7 per cent, driven by a 30.2 per cent decrease in automobile trips and a 16.9 per cent decline in air travel. Political tensions between Canada and the U.S. that began in early 2025 have shifted travel patterns.
U.S. travel to Canada rises
U.S. residents took 1.5 million trips to Canada in April 2026, up 6.9 per cent from April 2025. This was the third consecutive monthly year-over-year increase. However, compared to April 2024, U.S. trips to Canada were down 1.5 per cent, mainly due to a 2.2 per cent drop in automobile travel.
Canadians travel more overseas
Canadians made 1.4 million return trips from overseas countries (excluding the U.S.) in April, up 2.7 per cent year over year. In contrast, trips to Canada by overseas residents declined 6.7 per cent to 432,700. Overall, Canadian-resident trips from abroad (including the U.S.) totaled 3.8 million in April, a 2.1 per cent year-over-year increase and the first such monthly rise since February 2025.
