Uber released its 2026 Teen Trends Index, in which Jacksonville claimed the highest median trip distance for teen rides in the U.S. & Canada.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Uber’s 2026 Teen Trends Index explores how teens ages 13 to 17 are using Uber as they returned to school, take shopping trips, attend social outings and order seasonal food cravings.
Uber Teen accounts offer teens greater independence while allowing parents and guardians to monitor rides and orders through built-in safety features. Whether getting to extracurricular activities or ordering meals, these teen accounts help families manage their busy schedules, with added convenience and peace of mind.
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The Sunshine State Takeover
As described by Uber, Florida’s “Sunshine State Takeover” came from three specific cities: Jacksonville, Miami and Sarasota. According to Uber, Florida teens are setting their own trends across the state.
Uber considers Jacksonville a “Road-Trip City” because of its median trip distance for teen Uber rides.Teens in Sarasota are considered “Jetsetter Teens,” as they top the charts for the highest proportion of teen rides taken to and from local airports.Miami makes the list of cities featured in the 2026 Uber Teen Trends Index, because of its popular mall. The Aventura Mall and CocoWalk top the list as the most frequently traveled malls in the U.S. and Canada.
Jacksonville is “Road-Trip City”
What does it mean to be considered Road-Trip City? This ultimately means that Jacksonville has the longest typical ride distance amongst cities analyzed for the 2026 Uber Teen Trends Index.
“Highest median trip distance” means the midpoint ride distance is greater in Jacksonville than in the other cities studied. Half of teen rides are shorter than that distance, and half are longer. “For teen rides” refers specifically to trips taken by teens using Uber Teen accounts.
Note that this refers to the median distance, not necessarily the longest individual ride or the highest average distance. Nevertheless, teenagers in Jacksonville tend to take longer Uber rides compared with teens in other cities included in the study.