Coastal Alabama is drawing outsized attention as Labor Day weekend approaches, with Gulf Shores and Dauphin Island both landing among the country’s most-searched vacation destinations, according to a new travel report from vacation rental marketplace HomeToGo.
The company’s 2026 Labor Day Travel Report found that Gulf Shores ranked as the No. 2 most-searched domestic destination in the country for the holiday weekend, trailing only North Carolina’s Outer Banks and edging out longtime favorites such as Destin, Florida, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Dauphin Island also cracked the national top 20, coming in at No. 16 among trending destinations and posting a 36% jump in year-over-year searches.
The rankings come as overall interest in Labor Day travel surges. HomeToGo reported that searches for Labor Day weekend trips are up 23% compared to last year, with travelers increasingly favoring quiet, nature-oriented getaways over big-city trips.
A Shift Toward Rural, Domestic Travel
“American travelers are notably trading crowded big city destinations for outdoor escapes,” said Eleanor Moody, a HomeToGo spokesperson and travel expert. “In 2026, it’s less about the destination’s mainstream popularity and more about reconnecting with the outdoors before the summer season winds down.”
According to the report, 90% of all Labor Day weekend searches nationwide were for rural locations, reflecting what HomeToGo describes as a collective desire to reconnect with nature. Domestic travel also dominated: 65% of Americans are planning to stay within the U.S. for the holiday, with searches for stateside getaways up 13.5% compared to 2025.
Travelers responding to the trend are also staying longer and traveling farther to reach their destinations. The report found that the average Labor Day trip now stretches to eight days, with vacationers willing to travel an average of 727 miles to get there. Despite the longer trips, affordability remains a draw — the median nightly accommodation price per person across the U.S. sits at $111.91, according to the report.
Why Coastal Alabama Keeps Winning
Gulf Shores’ strong national showing continues a pattern for the Baldwin County beach town, which has built a reputation over the years as one of the Gulf Coast’s most reliable holiday destinations thanks to its wide beaches, family-friendly attractions and relatively easy drive from major Southeastern metro areas.
Dauphin Island’s rapid rise in searches points to growing interest in Mobile County’s barrier island as a quieter, less crowded alternative within the same coastal region. The island, known for its beaches, birding and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, has increasingly drawn attention from travelers looking for the kind of low-key, nature-focused trip highlighted in HomeToGo’s findings.
Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Maine and California ranked as the top five most-searched states for Labor Day travel overall, the report found.
HomeToGo is a global online marketplace that aggregates vacation rental listings — including houses, apartments, villas and cabins — from thousands of providers into a single search platform.