Here’s What Your State Googles on Father’s Day


Dave Schafer
Jun 10, 2019
Icon Time To Read2 min read

Mark your calendars: Father’s Day is almost here. People are starting to scramble for gifts and make plans to celebrate the special fathers in their lives. And what better way to plan than to consult Google, the keeper of all knowledge?

We were curious if search results from the past could give us insight into what people are planning for Father’s Day this year—so we did some digging.

Read more about our methodology.

Fathers Day Searches by State map

Let Dad know you love him.

It’s important to let Dad know how much you care, and people seem to know it. But a simple Hallmark card doesn’t always cut it. Some places, including Nevada and the District of Columbia, searched for traditional greeting cards, but others got a bit more creative. Many folks searched for Father’s Day memes, messages, jokes, and even songs to spread the love in a more modern way.

Greeting cards weren’t the only type of card folks searched for. Retailers like Best Buy, The Home Depot, BJ’s Wholesale Club, and Tractor Supply Co. were common queries—probably because people were hunting down deals on gift cards. When in doubt, let Dad pick his own gift.

Mark your calendar.

Apparently not everyone knows when Father’s Day is. The top search in Missouri was “When is Father’s Day,” and people were still googling that question on the actual day. Luckily, it doesn’t take long to search for an emergency meme to fire off to Dad!

The way to Dad’s heart is through his stomach.

Several states were looking to get Dad some grub on Father’s Day. A few states hunted down barbecue and other meaty recipes. But if you’d rather take Dad out and let someone else handle the cooking, don’t worry, you’re not the only one. Restaurants were also a popular search topic, with Outback Steakhouse, Steak 'n Shake, and IHOP making the list.

But, surprisingly, the great state of Texas passed on the barbecue and hit up Wingstop instead. Meanwhile, Utah may be planning something a little fancier for dinner—they wanted to know how to tie a bow tie.

The game stops for no one.

Sports fans aren’t letting the special day derail their plans—especially in North Dakota, where NBA Finals searches were popular. In Washington, MLB searches took the lead. Whether people just weren’t worried about Dad or wanted to share the experience with him, we don’t know. We’ll just hope it’s the latter.

Golf was also a popular search. Several states, including Colorado, Connecticut, Michigan, and more, searched for info on golf. A relaxing day on the links could be a great chance for some fatherly bonding.

You can’t go wrong with a movie.

Movies were also a hit on Father’s Day. Whether you head down to the theater or settle in for a cozy night at home doesn’t seem to matter—what’s important is spending that time with Dad. Searches for movie times and Redbox locations were frequent in Oklahoma and New Hampshire respectively.

Happy Father’s Day

Remember, Father’s Day is Sunday, June 16 (there, we saved you a google this year). Now is a perfect time to start making plans. Whatever you decide to do, take some time to slow down and enjoy the day with Dad if you can. And if you are a dad, happy Father’s Day!

Here’s the complete list of state searches if you’re looking for some validation (or inspiration).

Father's Day searches by state

State
Search

Alabama

Barbecue near me

Alaska

Father's Day memes

Arizona

Cooking brisket

Arkansas

Smoking meat

California

Father's Day wishes

Colorado

Golf

Connecticut

Golf

Delaware

Outback Steakhouse

District of Columbia

Happy Father's Day cards

Florida

Father’s Day special

Georgia

Cracker Barrel near me

Hawaii

Costco Wholesale hours

Idaho

Shooting range

Illinois

Topgolf gift card

Indiana

Steak 'n Shake

Iowa

Funny Father's Day cards

Kansas

How to make baked potatoes

Kentucky

Tractor Supply Co.

Louisiana

Happy Father's Day images

Maine

IHOP near me

Maryland

Father's Day emojis

Massachusetts

BJ's Wholesale Club

Michigan

Golf

Minnesota

Golf

Mississippi

Best Buy hours

Missouri

When is Father's Day?

Montana

Bacon in oven

Nebraska

Golf

Nevada

Father's Day greetings

New Hampshire

Redbox movies

New Jersey

Father's Day wishes

New Mexico

The Home Depot hours

New York

Father's Day cartoon

North Carolina

Free Father's Day images

North Dakota

NBA Finals

Ohio

Golf

Oklahoma

Movie times

Oregon

Father's Day dinner

Pennsylvania

Happy Father's Day grandpa

Rhode Island

Father's Day message

South Carolina

Restaurants near me

South Dakota

Happy Father's Day quotes

Tennessee

Cracker Barrel near me

Texas

Wingstop

Utah

How to tie a bow tie

Vermont

Barbecue

Virginia

How to make margaritas

Washington

MLB

West Virginia

PlayStation 4

Wisconsin

Father's Day song

Wyoming

Dad jokes

Methodology

We used Google Trends to find the most popular search terms on Father’s Day over the last five years. Then we ran that list through Google Trends again to see which states were searching for specific terms most frequently on Father’s Day in 2018. This gave us a pretty good idea of what folks should be looking for this year.

Edited by Cara Haynes

Dave Schafer
Written by
Dave has written professionally for tech companies and consumer technology sites for nearly five years, with a special focus on TV and internet. He uses his industry expertise to help readers at HighSpeedInternet.com get the most out of their services. No matter the project, he prefers his coffee black (the stronger, the better).