As demand for U.S. passports grows, here are the states with the most aspiring world travelers
More Americans than ever before are gaining access to international travel with a U.S. passport. According to the State Department, in 1990, only 5% of U.S. citizens had a passport. As of mid-2024, 48% of Americans have a passport. According to Pew Research from 2023, half of Americans have visited between one and four countries in their lifetime, and about a quarter have visited five or more countries.
Although airlines have adjusted their 2025 forecasts to account for lower demand for flying due to economic uncertainty, the May 2025 deadline for a Real ID to travel domestically, combined with the need for a passport or an alternative form of accepted identification, may continue to increase demand.
Over the next two years, the State Department plans to open six new passport offices nationwide to address the demand for expedited passport requests. For those with non-urgent requests, a new online renewal application process allows current passport holders to renew their passports in under two weeks in some instances.
In the future, you may not need a physical passport at all to travel — the department is considering digital passports in the next decade, much like the digital driver’s licenses Arizona, California, and Georgia have already issued. Such international travel documents would be a world of difference compared to the beginnings of passports. In ancient Persia, before the Common Era, travel documents were simply papers signed by a king or dignitary to ensure someone’s safe passage into foreign lands. The modern-day U.S. passport didn’t exist until after World War I, when the country began to attempt to curb the number of immigrants entering its borders.
Today, whether traveling for business or pleasure, very few places are accessible without this important traveling document. Spokeo utilized data from the State Department to identify where the rate of passport issuance grew the most.
Record-high U.S. passports issued in 2024
The number of U.S. passports in circulation has increased significantly over the last 30 years, from approximately 15,000 U.S.-issued passports per 100,000 people in the early 1990s to more than 45,000 today.
By 2007, U.S. Customs and Border Protection began implementing new programs, including the Trusted Traveler Program, to facilitate easier reentry for U.S. citizens after international travel. Programs such as Global Entry allow U.S. travelers enrolled in the program to “fast-track” through Immigration and Customs lines upon arrival in the United States.
The Mobile Passport program enables travelers to expedite their Customs clearance process via a digital document while returning to the U.S. from a cruise or on their return flight. These programs facilitate faster and easier international travel for U.S. passport holders.
Washington, D.C. takes the lead for most U.S. passport holders
District of Columbia residents are more ready for international travel than U.S. residents in any other part of the country. Washington, D.C., far outpaces the rest of the country, with more than 35,000 residents out of every 100,000 in the District having valid passports.
Several factors may contribute to its ranking, including the area’s higher-than-average median income and its status as an international hub for major government, nonprofit, and research organizations with a global reach. D.C. passport holders also have greater access to foreign embassies, making it easier for them to apply for visas in person.
Following behind D.C. are coastal states such as New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, and Hawaii. Many of these states are among those with the most foreign-born citizens, who may be more likely to continue traveling internationally.
Residents may also be more likely to travel abroad given their access to international airports, such as John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Boston Logan International Airport in Massachusetts, and Los Angeles International and San Francisco International airports in California. These airports are more likely to offer cheaper or direct flights to international travel hubs such as London’s Heathrow Airport and Singapore’s Changi Airport.
Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn.
This story was produced by
Spokeo and was produced and
distributed in partnership with
Stacker.
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