Puerto Vallarta Popular US States & Canadians Traveling to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Puerto Vallarta Popular US States & Canadians
Visitor statistics, direct-flight routes, and the real reasons American and Canadian travelers keep choosing Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit over every other beach destination in Mexico.
By Promovision PV · Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit Travel Guide · Updated 2026
6.27M Total visitors to Puerto Vallarta, 2025
6.95M PVR airport passengers, 2025 (record year)
1.44M American arrivals to Jalisco, 2024
~311K Canadian arrivals to Jalisco, 2024
~40,000 US & Canadian residents living in PV
Puerto Vallarta has quietly become one of the most sought-after winter escapes in North America, and the flight schedules prove it. Every year, more nonstop routes connect this Pacific Coast city in Jalisco to airports across the United States and Canada, and the passenger numbers keep climbing. In 2025, Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR) handled a record 6,947,700 passengers, and Puerto Vallarta itself welcomed 6.265 million visitors — its highest total ever. So which US states and Canadian provinces are actually filling those seats, and what makes Puerto Vallarta the destination they keep coming back to instead of Cancun, Los Cabos, or Playa del Carmen? This guide breaks down the numbers, the flight routes, and the real motivations behind the migration.
The Most Popular US States Traveling to Puerto Vallarta
Americans make up the overwhelming majority of Puerto Vallarta’s international visitors — more than three-quarters of all foreign arrivals, according to figures shared by the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Promotion Trust. Jalisco’s tourism board recorded 1,439,949 American arrivals in 2024 alone, an 8.2% year-over-year increase. Here is how the leading states stack up.
Top US States Sending Travelers to Puerto Vallarta & Their Direct Flight Access
Rank State Feeder City / Airport Why It Leads
1- California Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), San Diego, Sacramento Roughly one in four US visitors to Puerto Vallarta comes from California. LAX is the single busiest US feeder route into PVR, and Southwest is adding San Diego service in 2026.
2- Texas Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Houston (IAH) Direct routes on American and United make Puerto Vallarta a short hop for Texans, and Houston sits among the airport’s busiest United hubs.
3- Arizona Phoenix (PHX) Phoenix is consistently ranked among PVR’s three busiest US routes, reflecting Arizona’s deep snowbird culture and short flight time to the Bay of Banderas.
4- Illinois Chicago (ORD) Chicago is cited by the Tourism Trust as the third-largest US feeder city after Los Angeles and San Francisco, with seasonal nonstop service.
5- Colorado Denver (DEN) United’s year-round Denver–Puerto Vallarta route makes Colorado a strong feeder market for both winter travelers and Sierra Madre adventure seekers.
6- Nevada Las Vegas (LAS) Southwest Airlines is launching new Las Vegas–Puerto Vallarta service in 2026, adding to existing carrier options.
7- New Jersey / New York Newark (EWR) United’s Newark route anchors the Northeast market, supplemented by newer Alaska Airlines service from New York.
8- Georgia Atlanta (ATL) Frontier Airlines added nonstop Atlanta service in December 2025, opening up the Southeast market.
9- Missouri Kansas City, St. Louis Alaska Airlines expanded into both cities in 2025, part of a broader push into secondary Midwest markets.
Insider note: Los Angeles carries the most passengers of any single US city into Puerto Vallarta, followed by San Francisco, then Chicago — a pattern the Tourism Trust’s director has pointed to for several years running. California’s dominance also shows up on the ground: it is the most common state of origin among the estimated 40,000 American and Canadian residents now living in and around Puerto Vallarta.
The Most Popular Canadian Provinces Traveling to Puerto Vallarta
Canadians are the second-largest international visitor group to Puerto Vallarta, and arguably the most loyal — many fall in love with the city on a winter escape and eventually buy property or retire nearby. Jalisco logged roughly 310,910 Canadian arrivals in 2024, up 4.2% from the year before, and the winter flight schedule keeps expanding.
Top Canadian Provinces Sending Travelers to Puerto Vallarta & Their Direct Flight Access
Rank Province Feeder City / Airport Why It Leads
1- Ontario Toronto (YYZ), Ottawa, Hamilton Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat, and new Porter Airlines routes (launched winter 2025) all connect Toronto directly to PVR, making it Canada’s top feeder market.
2- Alberta Calgary (YYC), Edmonton (YEG) WestJet’s Calgary hub runs extensive winter service to Puerto Vallarta, reflecting Alberta’s outsized snowbird culture relative to its population.
3- British Columbia Vancouver (YVR) Air Canada and WestJet both fly Vancouver–Puerto Vallarta nonstop, serving the West Coast Canadian market.
4- Manitoba Winnipeg (YWG) WestJet’s Winnipeg route is one of the airline’s longest-running winter-sun connections to PVR.
5- Saskatchewan Saskatoon (YXE), Regina (YQR) Prairie snowbirds have direct seasonal access via WestJet, avoiding a connection through Calgary or Toronto.
6- Quebec Montreal (YUL) Air Canada and Air Transat serve Montreal year-round with added frequencies each winter, anchoring the French-Canadian, or Québécois, market that Puerto Vallarta actively courts with French-language content and services. https://promovisionpv.com/francais/
Why Canadians keep coming back: Puerto Vallarta’s warm, dry winter climate is the single biggest draw for Canadian travelers escaping sub-zero temperatures, but the destination’s affordability compared to the Caribbean, its walkable Malecón and Zona Romántica, and a genuinely welcoming expat community keep the province-by-province numbers growing year after year. Read more in our guide on vacationing or retiring to Puerto Vallarta.
What Influences Travelers to Choose Puerto Vallarta Over Other Mexico Destinations
Mexico offers dozens of beach destinations, yet Puerto Vallarta consistently punches above its weight for repeat visitation and long-stay tourism. Here are the factors travelers and industry data point to most often:
Authentic culture, not a resort bubble. Unlike Cancún’s purpose-built hotel zone, Puerto Vallarta grew from a real fishing village and still has a walkable historic Centro, cobblestone streets, and a working Malecón — see our breakdown of why Puerto Vallarta is so popular.
Mountains and jungle meet the ocean. The Sierra Madre drops almost directly into the Bay of Banderas, giving Puerto Vallarta a landscape variety — waterfalls, botanical gardens, zip-lining — that flat, mangrove-lined Caribbean destinations can’t match.
Global LGBTQ+ reputation. Puerto Vallarta’s Zona Romántica is widely regarded as Mexico’s top LGBTQ+-friendly destination, with dedicated hotels, bars, and a Pride celebration that draws travelers from every major North.
American market. Full details in why Puerto Vallarta is so popular with LGBTQ+ travelers.
Lower cost of living and travel than Los Cabos or the Riviera Maya. Flights, hotels, and dining in Puerto Vallarta consistently price below comparable Caribbean-side resorts, a factor that matters even more with a growing snowbird and retiree population.
Safety perception. Puerto Vallarta was named one of the 10 friendliest cities in the world, and repeat visitors and expats routinely cite it as one of the safer, more relaxed destinations in Mexico.
Growing direct-flight network. New 2025–2026 routes from Atlanta, San Diego, Las Vegas, Kansas City, St. Louis, Sacramento, and expanded Canadian service from Ottawa and Hamilton keep lowering the barrier to entry for new.
US and Canadian markets.
An established expat and second-home community. With an estimated 40,000 American and Canadian residents already in the region, new visitors arrive with built-in social infrastructure — Facebook groups, real estate networks, and English/French-speaking services — that few other Mexican beach towns can offer at the same scale.
Whale watching, Marietas Islands, and eco-tourism. Seasonal humpback whale migration (December–March) and day trips to the Marietas Islands give Puerto Vallarta a nature-tourism dimension that pure party destinations lack.
Puerto Vallarta vs. Cancún vs. Los Cabos: A Quick Comparison
How Puerto Vallarta Stacks Up Against Mexico’s Other Top Beach Destinations
Factor Puerto Vallarta Cancún / Riviera Maya Los Cabos
Landscape Jungle, Sierra Madre mountains, Pacific bay Flat, mangrove, Caribbean turquoise water Desert meets Pacific/Sea of Cortez
Town character Historic cobblestone Centro & Zona Romántica, Purpose-built hotel zone, Resort corridor between Cabo San Lucas & San José
2025 annual visitors 6.27 million ~30 million (Quintana Roo state) ~4 million
Top US feeder markets California, Texas, Arizona, Illinois Texas, Florida, Northeast California, Arizona, Texas
LGBTQ+ scene Nationally recognized, Zona Romántica hub Smaller, resort-based Emerging, smaller scene
Expat/snowbird community ~40,000 US/Canadian residents Large, concentrated in Playa del Carmen Sizeable, concentrated in San José corridor
Airport Growth Fueling the Trend
2025 2026 Provincia Noviembre Diciembre Enero Febrero
British Columbia 32.0% 26.7% 28.8% 30.3%
Alberta 18.0% 22.2% 17.3% 25.0%
Ontario 16.0% 22.2% 25.0% 18.4%
Quebec 18.0% 15.6% 19.2% 14.5%
Manitoba 6.0% 6.7% 5.8% 7.9%
Saskatchewan 10.0% 6.7% 3.8% 3.9%
The flight math tells the story on its own. Between January and July 2025, PVR welcomed 4.3 million passengers across 52 seasonal routes — 22 to the United States and 16 to Canada — flown by 18 airlines. A new 9.2-billion-peso Terminal 2 expansion, funded by Grupo Aeropuertario del Pacífico, will roughly double the airport’s annual capacity once complete, a clear signal that airlines and investors expect US and Canadian demand to keep rising.
Canadian carrier Porter Airlines launched fresh routes from Toronto, Ottawa, and Hamilton in late 2025, while Southwest Airlines is scheduled to begin San Diego and Las Vegas service in 2026 — two more California and Nevada gateways feeding the state rankings above.
Planning Your Puerto Vallarta Trip?
Explore 220+ destination videos covering every neighborhood, beach, and town in Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit.
Watch on YouTube Read the 2026 Travel Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
Which US state sends the most visitors to Puerto Vallarta? California leads by a wide margin, contributing roughly one-quarter of all American arrivals. Los Angeles is the top individual feeder city, followed by San Francisco and Chicago.
Which Canadian province sends the most visitors to Puerto Vallarta? Ontario and Alberta lead Canadian arrivals, thanks to extensive WestJet, Air Canada, and Porter Airlines service from Toronto, Calgary, and Edmonton. British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Quebec round out the top markets.
Why do travelers pick Puerto Vallarta over Cancún or Los Cabos? Most cite the authentic small-city culture, walkable historic Centro and Malecón, jungle-and-mountain scenery beside the beach, lower costs than the Caribbean coast, the LGBTQ+-friendly Zona Romántica, and an expanding network of direct flights from the US and Canada.
How many passengers pass through Puerto Vallarta’s airport each year? PVR handled a record 6,947,700 passengers in 2025, up 2.1% from 2024, according to Grupo Aeropuertario del Pacífico (GAP).
How many Americans and Canadians live in Puerto Vallarta? Local estimates put the combined US and Canadian expat and snowbird population at around 40,000 residents, a number that has grown steadily since the pandemic.
Explore More of Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit: links bellow:
Why is Puerto Vallarta so popular with LGBTQ+
Why is Puerto Vallarta so popular?
Why travelers are returning to Puerto Vallarta
Why Puerto Vallarta for your travel vacation
Why visit Puerto Vallarta
Why go to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Vacationing or retiring to Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta: top for LGBTQ+ travelers
The Ultimate Puerto Vallarta Travel Guide 2026
Riviera Nayarit destination guide
Nuevo Nayarit neighborhood guide
Sayulita travel guide
Punta Mita travel guide
Bucerías travel guide
Puerto Vallarta real estate
Maps: Puerto Vallarta areas & hotel zones
Mexico Ranked #1 for Expats in the WORLD https://promovisionpv.com/mexico-ranked-1-for-expats-in-the-world/
Sources: Grupo Aeropuertario del Pacífico (GAP) airport statistics; Puerto Vallarta Tourism Promotion Trust; Jalisco State Tourism Secretariat; US National Travel & Tourism Office (NTTO) Outbound SIAT 2024; Wikipedia — Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport; trade.gov, US Outbound Travelers Characteristics 2024;
Travel Blogger, Travel Vlogger, Travel Guide, Travel Tips, Video Productions, Tourism Mexico.
promovisionpv.com · YouTube · Instagram · Facebook · Threads · Bluesky
© Promovision PV