If you’re looking for travel inspiration, here are 25 states to visit in 2025.
With 50 states spanning from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean, the United States is one of the biggest countries in the world (context: the entire continent of Europe, which spans 3.9 million square miles, is only slightly larger than the US, which encompasses 3.8 million square miles of land and water).
I could spend a lifetime exploring the USA (and there is no place I love writing about more). For the past decade, I’ve road-tripped coast to coast, caught homebound flights (instead of feelings), and let my bucket list balloon into a million things to do (think: stargazing in Joshua Tree, leaf peeping along Vermont’s Green Mountain Byway, hiking the Pacific Crest Trail).
Our hotlist of states to visit has become a staple on Passport To Eden. I update this list every year, reflecting on the states I’ve visited and want to visit. While it’s daunting to whittle down the US to a simple list of states (unranked because I don’t want to choose favorites), I’m grateful that year after year, I get to introduce you to beautiful destinations worth a detour.
Welcome to the only country in the world that hosts all five climate zones. Spread out amongst them (and scattered, because the US is quite large) are vibrant cities, scenic small towns, pretty drives, and underhyped meals (that showcase just how much of a melting pot this part of North America is).
If you’re looking for unique places to travel to this year, here are the top 25 states to visit in 2025 (in no particular order).
New York
When it comes to states to visit in the US, New York has it all. Few destinations appeal to as many types of travelers as New York does. You can spend a long weekend solo in NYC, wandering through brownstone neighborhoods and soaking up the views. Families will love Buffalo’s and Syracuse’s (and NYC’s) fill of museums. Couples can escape to Catskills for a picturesque cabin stay or sip white wines near the Finger Lakes.
New York is also the best state to visit for international travelers romping the US for the first time. Manhattan is walking-friendly and has integrated public transport. And public tours, including those at the MET, are sometimes offered in languages other than English (think Spanish, Mandarin, and German)!
Florida
Florida is one of the most unhinged states I’ve ever visited, yet I keep returning. Sure, the roadways are aggressive (to all the Florida Uber drivers who left my stomach in my throat, is putting a hand, any hand, on the steering wheel too much to ask?). But it’s these very roadways that lead to warm blue beaches, lively theme parks, and freshwater springs so vibrant, they’re practically turquoise.
Pair your getaway with lots of food (think: Cuban sandwiches in Ybor City, pastelitos de guayaba in Little Havana, heaping plates of crab in Panama City, spicy pan-Asian food in Orlando’s Mills 50 District, and of course, tart slices of key lime pie in Florida Keys).
Nevada
Nevada is a sparse state, but one that’s worth visiting. Most visitors laser-focus on Las Vegas, but I want to encourage you to take a day trip (or road trip) and wind into the Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon, Valley Of Fire, or Mt. Charleston Scenic Byway.
Texas
Y’all know I love Texas, with its long, lingering sunsets and dusty flatlands and dry-rubbed BBQ. Texas is a state you can easily get lost in forever. You can drive and drive and drive and only see glimpses of the Gulf Coast and Chihuahuan Desert. After all, Texas is one of the biggest states to visit in the US!
A few of my favorite stopovers are San Antonio, El Paso, Hill Country, Dallas, and Palo Duro Canyon. And Buc-ee’s, too.
Virginia
Virginia is one of the most beautiful states to visit in the US. The views from Breaks Interstate Park and Shenandoah National Park are unmatched. And as you get further and further away from Northern Virginia (specifically, the I-66 commute to DC), the roads become less and less congested and more and more bucolic (think rolling hills, tall trees lined like sentinels, and quaint small town stops).
A few places to add to your Virginia bucket list? A walk beneath the 200(ish) foot-high limestone arch known as Natural Bridge, a Friday night at Floyd Country Store’s jamboree, and a casual gallery hop in Richmond’s Arts District.
California
It’s hard to picture California in just one snapshot. The state presents itself through a series of iconic places: Golden Gate Bridge glinting in the sunlight, the caps-white letters of the Hollywood Sign snug on Mount Lee, El Capitan and Half Dome forest-cradled in Yosemite, vine rows sloping in Napa Valley, Suessian Joshua trees rising out of the Mojave Desert.
Over 270 million tourists flock to The Golden State yearly, and for good reason. There’s a lot to do; you can’t see it all on one trip, so don’t force yourself to. California is one of the best states in the US to revisit for city breaks (at Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco), weekends of hikes (in one of its nine National Parks), and long days by the sand (at Laguna, Pismo, and Coronado Beach).
01/13/25 Update: If you know anyone in a Los Angeles Wildfire Evacuation Zone, I invite you to share this resource link with them. It’s a list of care resources that contains the official form to apply for Airbnb temporary housing. In collaboration with 211 LA, Airbnb is offering free temporary housing to those in evacuation zones. And if want to support LA residents more directly, here’s a link where you can pledge to CCF’s wildfire recovery fund. ❤️🩹
Michigan
Okay, I’ll admit, Michigan is one of the US states I want to visit the most because of Beach Read by Emily Henry. North Bear Shores is fictitious, but it is based on real specks of Western Michigan’s beach towns (Saugatuck, Holland).
So, it’s these little beach towns near Lake Michigan that I want to visit. Along with Traverse City and Detroit and Sleeping Bear Dunes and Pictured Rocks (because every time I plan a trip to Michigan, the list of places I want to see grows and grows).
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is a state I’d love to visit more of this year. I’ve only been to Philadelphia (highly recommend a weekend here if you love history), a few small towns like New Hope, and Hershey Park (on a field trip in seventh grade).
But there’s more to see: Tioga State Forest on a cool, misty morning, Fallingwater (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright), and Pittsburgh (with all its Gilded Age attractions).
Connecticut
I didn’t anticipate falling in love with Connecticut as much as I did, but here we are. Connecticut is one of the friendliest states I’ve ever visited in the US (which still surprises me, given everything I hear about Connecticuters)! I wasn’t expecting to start conversations with so many kind strangers, but everyone I met (and chatted with) shared lovely recommendations for things to do, and inadvertently helped me stay far, far away from the state’s infamously rich and snobbish zip codes (that might have improved my perception of the state).
Say hello to quintessential New England charm, a delightful thin crust pizza scene, and a Gilmore Girlsesque atmosphere (though filmed elsewhere, Stars Hollow was inspired by Connecticut’s very own little town of Washington Depot).
Nebraska
A few winters ago, I headed to Nebraska (a trip brought on by reading one too many books by Rainbow Rowell, a local Omaha author). I saw Omaha through the lens of rom-coms and romance books, so I was charmed immediately. I sipped lattes at cute coffee shops, wandered through bright airy museums (Durham, Joslyn), and ate some of the best burgers I’ve ever had in the US (some places to try: Block 16, Memoir, Dirty Birds) – all on a tight budget.
Nebraska is one of the cheapest states to visit in the United States! And if you’re up for driving out to the Western part of the state (on a longer Midwestern road trip), stop by Scotts Bluff National Monument.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is one of the most underrated states to visit in the USA. Killers Of The Flower Moon gave it an on-screen moment, and now, set-jetters are beginning to take notice of Oklahoma’s beauty.
Oklahoma is a state that gets written off as dull and boring, but I challenge anyone to visit Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge (with its post oak trees and prairie dogs and wild bison) and Talimena National Scenic Byway (in the thick of autumn, when the leaves look like orange fireworks) and The Philbrook Museum (for all the Bridgerton vibes) and say the same after. Spoiler alert: you can’t.
New Mexico
New Mexico is one of the most unique states to visit in the US! The landscape is vast and striking, piped with old adobe churches, art museums and galleries, and otherworldly landscapes (White Sands, Bisti Badlands, Tent Rocks).
I love the more remote parts of New Mexico (the places that require an offline map and a good bit of planning to get to), but also its bigger cities (Santa Fe, Albuquerque) and small town food stops! Traditional New Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines in the US – savory, blue-corn heavy, and drenched in chile and warming spices.
Kentucky
I initially visited Kentucky on a day trip from Nashville and fell in love. Imagine thickets of woods, a countryside drive weaving past Quilt Trail barns, the bright strum of bluegrass instruments, and shots of bourbon. That’s Kentucky.
Go for the waterfalls that look like bridal veils, ash-gray rocks rising above a sea of trees, and deep, dark caves (Kentucky is home to the longest cave in the world, Mammoth Cave).
Caves are why I keep returning to Kentucky; they’re a good reason to pack your weekender bags and take a road trip (up or down) to this state (as the saying goes, it’s not what’s outside, but what’s inside that matters).
Arkansas
Nicknamed The Natural State, Arkansas (especially The Ozarks) has this effortless beauty that will leave you wide-eyed: old forests folded into weathered mountains and little towns nurtured by nature.
Head to Eureka Springs (for all the pretty vistas and architecture) and Bentonville for Crystal Bridges, one of the most beautiful museums in the United States (in my opinion, at least).
If you’re planning a week-long Arkansas road trip, tack on a weekend at Hot Springs (for a few spa-filled days) and a day trip to Little Rock (to learn more about the state’s history).
Massachusetts
If a love of reading composes 90% of your identity, bump up Massachusetts on your travel list! Massachusetts is a literary haven with lots of bookish places to see: charming indie bookshops, Louisa May Alcott’s home (the very home where she penned Little Women), and the Boston Public Library (one of the most beautiful libraries in the United States).
For a book break, hop on a ferry to Martha’s Vineyard (in the summertime) or spend a Hocus Pocus-y weekend in Salem (near Halloween).
Oregon
photos (left, right) by: Kevin Fitzgerald, Conner Bowe
With Crater Lake circling cliffs and a dramatic, rugged coastline hugging the Pacific Ocean, Oregon is one of the most breathtaking states in the United States.
This is a state deeply loved by Passport To Eden readers – yes, I’ve noticed all the gentle nudges you send me requesting I visit Oregon (for the world’s largest indie bookstore, Powell’s in Portland, alone), and hopefully, this year, I’ll get a chance to go.
Washington
Washington is one of the most undeniably beautiful states to visit in the US. It’s rainy, sure, but also spectacular in the ways only the Pacific Northwest can be: rugged and mountainous, bedded by mirror lakes and misty forests.
Seattle is one of the most iconic cities in the US, but Washington has cute small towns worth visiting too: Leavenworth at Christmas, Walla Walla (for the wineries), and Forks (for Twilight locations, of course, but also for its positioning near Olympic National Park).
Arizona
The Grand Canyon is a big (over 200 miles big) reason to visit Arizona. There are several other reasons, too: Sedona’s vortex hikes, Scottsdale’s spa resorts, Tucson’s Sonoran hot dogs, and the real London Bridge (surprise, it’s in Arizona).
Tennessee
I moved to Tennessee a few years ago (I can’t believe it’s been years already), and I’ve loved getting to know this state. Nashville might be known for its wild bachelorette parties and Broadway shenanigans, but it also has a great local coffee scene and pretty parks and live music venues. Memphis is home to some of the most impressive museums in the state (STAX Museum Of American Soul Music, National Civil Rights Museum). And the Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee are just as beautiful as everyone says (I promise).
Vermont
Vermonters will happily tell you that Vermont is one of the prettiest states to visit in the US, no ifs, buts, or else allowed. I agree. I visited Vermont late one winter, before spring painted the state as bright green as its license plates. Red barns, covered bridges (Vermont has over a hundred), wooden sugar shacks, and quiet creemee stands were capped in snow. I still felt the charm of Vermont’s small towns (the absence of billboards en route is delightfully noticeable, and this little detail, or lack thereof, makes each stop extra quaint).
Scenic byways lead you towards Green Mountains, a little stretch of the Appalachians with old, gentle slopes (it’s here you’ll want to rush to in the autumn).
Maryland
On Assateague Island, wild horses run in the sand, their hoofprints washed over by navy blue waves. Deeper inland, water rushes into a rocky river (Muddy Creek Falls at full force is the sight to note). Maryland is a heady mix of coastal bays and beaches, Appalachian footpaths and sleepy small towns. Plan for a weekend in Annapolis (deemed one of the prettiest cities in America) and a few quick day trips. And if you love seafood (as much as I do), indulge in Maryland’s crab scene (think: briny crab cakes, steamed blue crabs dusted in Old Bay seasoning, and homey bowls of crab soup).
Alaska
Alaska is an adventure; it’s a wild and glacial state, America at its most dramatic. The pace of your Alaska trip can vary; your mileage may take you from Anchorage to Seward, where you’ll drive along a stunning highway to icy Kenai Fjords National Park. Or you might want to shuttle through Denali (a good chunk of this National Park is still closed from Pretty Rocks Landslide, but it’s worth a day trip. You’ll see the tallest mountain in America, a peak that rises so high, it touches the clouds). Keep an eye out for black bears and moose and Dall sheep and wolves (seeing wildlife is so much of why Alaska is one of the best states to visit in the US).
Utah
Then, there’s Utah, another state worth visiting for its National Parks. You’ll want to hit up The Mighty Five: Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion National Park. All are rugged in the way the Southwest typically is. The sun glares on hoodoos and spires. Red shadows pool around rocks.
Utah’s valleys are vast and dry, and in Tooele County, so much salt crusts the earth that you might (for a moment) think you’re in Bolivia (but no, this is Bonneville Salt Flats in Northwestern Utah, a place beautiful and unique in its own way).
Colorado
Colorado is best known as a winter getaway (with ski towns like Aspen, Breckenridge, and Vail), but I love visiting Colorado in the summertime when grass carpets the meadows and wildflowers spring from the alpine ground and the sharp edges of the Rocky Mountains are revealed. Colorado is one of the best states to visit in the US for long day hikes, scenic drives, and weekend camping trips.
Hawaiʻi
photos (left, right) by: Colton Jones, Michael Olsen
I don’t have to tell you how beautiful Hawaiʻi is. You can picture it perfectly: lush land rising above the water, beaches with powdery white sand, waves foaming along the edge of cliffs.
Hawaiʻi is stunning, and everyone knows, so this state sadly suffers from overtourism. You can read about it here. I also recommend this article by Mariah Rigg.
In the past few years, the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority has launched (and later, strengthened) its Mālama Hawaiʻi Program, an initiative designed to spotlight the deep, meaningful relationship Hawaiʻians have with nature. Mālama encourages us to take care of and protect Hawai‘i during a visit, to give back to the ocean and plants and ponds that give so much to us.
Did you enjoy this post on the top states to visit in the United States? What are your favorite states to visit? Let me know in the comments below what you’d like to add to this list!
I’d really like to go to Montana in 2020 but Oklahoma looks stunning too! :]
Oh, Montana is one of the prettiest states to visit (I have no idea why I didn’t include it on this list – it should be number one)! I hope you get a chance to visit (it’s gorgeous)! xx – Anshula
Such great suggestions! I’ve got to see more of the US.
Thank you so much Lyla! xx – Anshula
One of the best ways to get information about a state and/or region is to request a visitor’s guide from the State Department of Tourism or Chamber of Commerce. They typically will send you a book about the state, broken down by regions, often including a state map and a calendar of events by season.
You have New Mexico on your list for 2020. I went to college in Portales, NM! It is another state that lives up to its slogan, Land of Enchantment. There are some wonderful things to do in New Mexico. I highly recommend taking the time to go through Roswell to the blink-and-you-miss-it village of Lincoln. There is so much history! They have the most interesting cemetery with headstones dating back to the early to mid 1800s. I was pledging to a service fraternity, and we spent an entire weekend there cleaning the cemetery and other parts of the community. There’s an outhouse behind the post office/ community services building. We would have to walk out past that building to “go” whether it was day or night. It just so happens that the boardwalk around the building is the very place where Billy the Kid was gunned down! You can find history such as this throughout NM.
I am a Native Daughter of Idaho and I have to say that it is one of the hidden gems of the United States! People who don’t know what we have to offer tend to make jokes about the potatoes but we are oh, so much more!
Did you know that the Star Garnet is found in only 2 places in the world? India and the Idaho Panhandle! Idaho has so much land that if you could flatten the mountains in Idaho, you could fit the State of Texas inside the State of Idaho! Idaho has 4 distinct seasons. North Idaho is lush and green while much of South Idaho is a high desert. We have some of the best skiing in the country. Celebrities have homes all around the state. Vin Diesel is from a city in eastern Idaho. Eric Estrada is a reserve police officer in St. Anthony. Cataldo Mission is the oldest building in the state, built in 1848. Ruts from the Oregon Trail are still visible in southern Idaho. Oh, I could go on and on! If anyone wants more information from me, you can email me: [email protected].
Hi Karma, thank you so much for sharing all of this information! I spent a month in New Mexico last year (but I definitely need more time there). I had no idea there was so much history in Lincoln (I only stopped by long enough to see the San Juan Mission). Oh, I’m definitely adding Idaho to my list of places to visit this year! I had no idea that North Idaho and South Idaho had different landscapes – how cool. Thank you so much for stopping by! xx – Anshula
Oh! One more thing to add about New Mexico! Portales is one of the peanut growing capitals in the country. Each year, in October, the Peanut Valley Festival is held to signify the end of the growing season. The fair grounds fill with artisans from around the region, food vendors, chatter and high spirits from the community, and the intoxicating smells of freshly dug peanuts being roasted at the local peanut factory.
Ooooh! I was planning on visiting New Mexico in October to see the hot air balloon festival anyway. Will definitely be accounting for this suggestion! xx – Anshula
Hey There. I found your blog using msn. That is a very
neatly written article. I will make sure to bookmark it and return to learn more of your helpful
information. Thank you for the post. I’ll certainly comeback.
Great article. The US is indeed large with lots of nice places and destinations. I’m planning to visit Oklahoma soon and am glad I found this article.
Thanks and keep posting
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy your trip. I haven’t been posting for a bit but hopefully I’ll swing back into blogging soon 😊
Having read this I thought it was very informative. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this article together. I once again find myself spending way to much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worth it!
Oh my goodness, I love your list! Having driven to most (but not all) of them, I agree with much of what you wrote. I’ve actually even lived in 5 of those states!
Headed to San Antonio next month and Florida in the spring- Happy wandering!
Thank you. That’s amazing that you’ve lived in five of these states! Hope you enjoy San Antonio (it’s one of my favorite cities in Texas). And warm wishes for your trip to Florida. 😊 xx – Anshula
The field of Dreams movie site is in Iowa, as are the bridges of Madison County and the famous Amana Colonies, a German Pietist settlement-turned-tourist attraction!