People spent more than a billion hours visiting national park sites in 2025

The National Parks System is a popular attraction in the US

More than 16 billion people have visited the US National Park System since 1904. Curious about how something like World War II affected park visitation? This table of annual recreational visits spans the early 20th century through 2023, demonstrating the slow-but-steady rise in visitors over the decades.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular national park

The Tennessee park attracted more than 12 million visitors in 2024, nearly three times the amount Zion National Park, the number two most popular park, brought in. The least visited park was the famously remote Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska, which posted only 11,907 visitors.

Permanent staff at NPS dropped nearly a quarter in 2025

Despite record-level visitation in recent years, NPS staffing reductions have affected maintenance, scientific research, and search-and-rescue operations most acutely, functions visitors don't typically see. According to the NPCA, some visitor centers have reduced hours, lifeguard positions have gone unfilled, and rangers report covering multiple roles simultaneously.

The National Parks System includes 63 parks and 400 smaller preserved sites

Want to see how close you are to one of the major preserves or lesser-known historic sites? Explore this interactive map from the National Park Service to plan your next adventure to protected, historic land.

The National Park Service responded to the postwar influx of visitors with a massive project

As the American road trip evolved into a popular vacation option, the national parks became overwhelmed by the influx of tourists. The Mission 66 initiative was launched as a way to respond to the interest, improving and expanding the parks' facilities.

States have stepped in to keep national parks open during shutdowns

National parks typically close during federal shutdowns, but in 2023, Arizona and Utah planned to use state funds to keep parks open—highlighting how shutdowns can disrupt tourism and local economies.

Visit global national parks from your living room

Get your fill of incredible scenery with this collection of 17 different virtual tours of national parks. Catch the Northern Lights over Abisko National Park in Sweden, or explore the famous red sand dunes of Namib-Naukluft National Park in Namibia.

The best national parks in America for wildlife spotting

Park-goers hoping to catch a glimpse of local wildlife can turn to this breakdown of animal-related data from the National Park Service. Birdwatchers should visit Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, which has the highest density of bird types at 194 species per 100km². Interested in marine life? Head to Biscayne National Park in Florida to find nearly 700 species of colorful fish in crystal-clear waters.

The federal agency dedicated to supporting museums and libraries spent $280M in 2024

The Institute of Museum and Library Services—a division of the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities—administered $294M in FY 2024, accounting for nearly 40% of the National Endowment's total spending.

There are over 20,000 trees on the National Mall

Nearly 4,000 of the Mall's trees are cherry trees, all maintained by a small National Park Service arborist team that provides year-round, science-based care to address soil compaction, root damage, and heavy visitor traffic.

As of 2025, Wikipedia is one of the top 10 most-visited sites in the world

Alphabet Inc.'s Google search engine and YouTube received nearly 150 billion combined visits in November, followed by Facebook, ChatGPT, and Instagram, which each received over 5 billion visits during the same span. With 4.42 billion visits for the month, Wikipedia ranked just behind Reddit's 4.85 billion.

National Geographic's list of best places to visit in 2023

National Geographic has released its latest Best of the World list with 25 must-see destinations for 2023 from Alberta, Canada, to Busan, South Korea.

Fireworks-related ER visits are on the rise—in 2024, they increased by 52% as compared to the prior year.

Mapping tourism at Machu Picchu

Only 750 people lived at Machu Picchu at its height, but today, almost ten times that number trample through its delicate plazas and agricultural terraces every day. This data visualization vividly illustrates the skyrocketing numbers of visitors to Machu Picchu over the decades, and highlights the risks of over tourism, including soil erosion and other environmental threats, and negative social and economic impacts.

Online Black Friday shoppers spent over 10% more in 2024 than they did in 2023

Online shoppers shelled out some $11.3M per minute between 10 am and 2 pm on Black Friday 2024, according to Adobe Analytics data. The $10.8B online shoppers spent on Black Friday 2024 was more than double the amount they spent online in 2017.

Fireworks-related ER visits in 2024 increased by 52% as compared to the prior year

In 2023, there were 9,700 such injuries, but the number was 14,700 in 2024, according to analysis from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Personal use of fireworks grew significantly during the pandemic, in part due to cancellations of public display shows, and that use has apparently continued—and prompted more injuries. What's more, the Census Bureau indicates that firework imports increased by around 19% between 2023 and 2024.

The US restaurant industry generates over $1T in sales

In 2024, the industry brought in $1.1T, and the National Restaurant Association anticipated reaching $1.5T in 2025, numbers that are considered a return to normal after the tumultuous years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The industry also employs a large workforce, with over 13 million employees. (Some readers may experience a paywall.)

6.7 million people attended Oktoberfest in 2024

With 6.7 million visitors and 1.8 million gallons of beer consumed, 2024's Oktoberfest was large, but smaller than 2023's, which had 7.2 million visitors, making it the most-attended Oktoberfest ever. It was also not the Oktoberfest that consumed the most beer—that would be 2011, with nearly 8 million liters, or roughly three Olympic swimming pools’ worth.

Roughly 68.5 million Americans were enrolled in Social Security benefits in December 2024

That amounted to nearly 90% of people ages 65 and older. The federal government spent $1.5T on Social Security in fiscal year 2024 (nearly a quarter of the total federal budget). This article details how these figures contribute to the perception that Social Security is “running out.”

The average American vacation costs $2K per person

A 2024 report found the average vacation for one person costs around $2K, with half of those surveyed suggesting they would not travel because of the price. A third of those willing to vacation despite the costs said they were willing to take on debt to pay for it.

Global box office revenues hit $33.5B in 2025

The number was a marked improvement from 2024, up 12% from a particularly sluggish year. Disney films—including "Lilo & Stitch" and "Zootopia 2"—were some of the year's biggest earners.

Roller coasters can cost millions of dollars to make, but they often offer a substantial payoff

Over 6,000 roller coasters are in operation around the world as of 2025, with ongoing demand to build more each year. Despite being costly (some theme parks pay upwards of $50M for these rides), their financiers are able to justify the investment when considering the long-term value of a ride that sticks around for decades with daily streams of visitors.

President Donald Trump's 2025 address drew 36.6 million viewers

President Trump's audience was about 13% higher than President Biden's 2024 address, but it fell short of Donald Trump's first-term State of the Union viewership, which consistently topped 37 million and peaked near 48 million in 2017.

Tracking annual working hours per worker in major countries

In 2023, China's workers averaged 2,328 hours per year, far ahead of the second country on the list, the United States, at 1,789. This chart shows the relative decrease of total work time across the world since the late 1800s.

Completed in 2017, Apple's headquarters cost $5 billion dollars

Apple Park features a ring-shaped main building that accommodates over 12,000 employees, situated above a two-story underground parking garage equipped with its own traffic light system. Inspired by Stanford University's foliage, Steve Jobs hired one of their arborists to oversee the planting of over 9,000 indigenous trees.

West Nile was reported in 47 states in 2025, with more than 1,400 people severely affected

Tracking numbers from the CDC indicate that the virus spread widely that year, with more than 2,000 reported human cases and many states seeing more than 25 sickened people. More than 1,400 people had neuroinvasive cases of the disease—meaning the virus had entered the nervous system, which can cause severe, potentially life-threatening illness.

Calculate how much of your tax dollars go to each federal program based on your income, filing status, and number of children

'Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone,' a work by American painter Thomas Moran, inspired Congress to establish Yellowstone National Park.

A 2019 Facebook event called on attendees to "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us," resulting in countless memes, the creation of a music festival, and eventually the arrests of those who did try to approach the area.

44% of Americans say they pray at least once a day—discover how your state's religiosity stacks up against the rest of the country.

The American Society of Civil Engineers' infrastructure report card gave the US a C in 2025, its highest grade since the project launched in 1998.

Explore an interactive map built from more than 100,000 survey responses on where people find joy in their lives

Take a 3D tour of the Hajj, Islam's annual pilgrimage to Mecca, undertaken by more than 1.5 million Muslims each year.

For centuries, Niagara Falls has been a magnet for daredevils seeking to conquer one of nature's most powerful wonders, with its 200-foot drop and water rushing at 32 feet per second with 280 tons of force.

Explore fun facts from the USPS, including unique post office buildings, a stamp that traveled past Pluto, and more.

Explore the history, structure, and species of Australia's Great Barrier Reef with this interactive journey narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

This real-time tracking of the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak in May 2026 offers a unique glimpse into the global reach of the outbreak and whether the virus sickened passengers and their communities around the world.

See the 25 of the best photos of auroras from around the world.

A century of Billboard issues documenting the evolution of popular music.

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

The power and influence of the American presidency have expanded significantly over time—far beyond what the founders envisioned.

Researchers believe the brain consolidates memories, processes emotions, and plans for the future during dream states

Electrical grids worldwide must double their power delivery capacity by 2050 to meet surging demand from AI and electric vehicles.

SpaceX's S-1 or 'prospectus' revealed many previously unknown details about the company, including its unprofitability despite doing $18.7B in revenue in 2025, exactly how many voting shares Elon Musk will have in the company (roughly 85%), and more.

Scientists testing how climate change affects plants found, in a years-long simulation study, that poison ivy grew 70% faster with the resulting extra carbon dioxide.

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

The most expensive ad of all time was for Chanel No. 5 perfume and cost roughly $33M to produce in 2004—about $57M in today's dollars.

While the first exchange-traded fund (a 'basket' of different assets that can be bought and sold on a stock exchange) in the US only launched in 1993, the global ETF market has grown to more than $10T in the short time since.

NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama spent the 2025 summer training with monks in central China to enhance his body and mind.

Animal phobias are likely the most common type of phobias, followed by an extreme fear of heights.