Canadian cross-border travel rebounds by car while flights to the U.S. keep falling
July data show Canadians made 2.3 million return trips to the United States, with car trips up 12.8 % and air trips down 1.4 %, marking a fourth straight month of growth.
Preliminary figures from Statistics Canada indicate that Canadians made 2.3 million return trips to the United States in July, a 10.2 % increase over July 2025 and the fourth consecutive month of year-over-year growth. The surge was confined to automobile travel, which rose 12.8 %, whereas flights to the U.S. fell 1.4 % and remain well below 2024 levels. Compared with July 2024, car trips are down 28.9 % and air trips down 26.8 %, a contrast the agency attributes to a base-year effect after a sharp 2025 decline.
Wayne Smith of the Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Research described the four-month trend as a stabilization toward a new normal, dominated by short, same-day trips rather than extended vacations. Statistics Canada counts border crossings, not individual travelers, and will release complete July data on September 22. Meanwhile, a Longwoods International survey shows growing intent among Canadians to visit the U.S., despite lingering concerns over trade policies and political statements.
Why it matters
The shift in travel mode signals how trade tensions and policy changes are reshaping cross-border mobility between Canada and the U.S.
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