We are just days away from the historic 2024 solar eclipse, giving vast swathes of North America the opportunity to soak in one of the most phenomenal natural sights on the path to totality of the eclipse.
Millions of Americans are planning to head to cities in the path of totality to get the fullest possible view of the next solar eclipse, and it has already had a measurable impact on those locations.
Data from AirDNA, a platform that collects data on short-term rentals, released a map showing that Airbnb locations in the path of totality are an incredibly hot commodity as the eclipse approaches.
The visualization below shows where Airbnb rentals were booked in the US for early April, with bookings on the evening of April 7 roughly showing the path of totality of the eclipse.
Among the places in the path of totality experiencing an eclipse tourism boom is Carbondale, Illinois, which finds itself in the path of totality of a solar eclipse for the second time in seven years.
Although Chicago is not located in the path of totality, area residents will still be able to see 94% totality, although eclipse glasses will be required to view the phenomenon safely.
NBC Chicago
