How much money does Formula 1 actually bring to Austin? After last weekend, it's a fair question. The traffic on 130 was its own answer.
The short answer: the 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) ran October 22 to 25 and drew 467,000 fans over four days, the largest crowd the race has had in Austin. Visit Austin projected more than $1 billion in economic impact for the city, about half of it direct spending by visitors and teams. COTA founder Bobby Epstein estimated "probably close to $1.3 billion" from out of state visitors alone. Hotels citywide were forecast at 92% to 95% occupancy.
Those are estimates. Final numbers take months, and the City of Austin said on October 26 that the full results will take time to measure. But Austin has hosted this race every year since 2012, so we know a lot about where the money goes.
F1 Austin 2026 by the numbers
| Measure | 2026 figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total attendance, Thursday to Sunday | 467,000 | Formula 1 |
| Projected economic impact | More than $1 billion | Visit Austin |
| Share from direct spending | About half | Visit Austin |
| Out of state visitor impact | About $1.3 billion | Bobby Epstein, COTA |
| Forecast hotel occupancy, citywide | 92% to 95% | Visit Austin |
| Event staff hired by COTA | 12,000 | Bobby Epstein, COTA |
| Race contract at COTA | Through 2034 | City of Austin |
The 467,000 is a four day total, so someone with a weekend pass counts more than once. It's still a record for the race here.
How much money does F1 bring to Austin?
Most estimates land around $1 billion a year now. Here's how the numbers have moved since COTA opened.
| Year | Estimate | Measured by |
|---|---|---|
| Before the first race | About $300 million, projected | Formula Money, per Bobby Epstein |
| 2014 | $507 million from F1 | Greyhill Advisors, for COTA |
| 2024 | About $1.1 billion in total spending | Angelou Economics |
| 2025 | About $970 million in total spending | Angelou Economics |
| 2026 | More than $1 billion, projected | Visit Austin |
Over its first 15 years, Angelou Economics puts COTA's total economic impact on Texas at more than $13.7 billion. Epstein says race weekend alone is now more than 10% of Austin's yearly tourism impact.
Worth saying plainly: most of these studies were paid for by COTA or tourism groups, and they don't measure the same thing. Some count only direct spending, some add the ripple effect on top. Read them as solid ballpark figures, not receipts.
Where does the money go?
The clearest breakdown is the State of Texas post event review of the 2021 race. Crowds have grown since, but the shape of the spending holds.
| Category, 2021 race | Direct spending |
|---|---|
| Hotels and motels | $154.7 million |
| Shopping and entertainment | About $58 million |
| Restaurants and bars | $53.5 million |
| Total direct spending in the Austin market | $331.4 million |
| New state tax revenue | About $30.6 million |
Hotels take the biggest share. The rest spreads out to restaurants, bars, drivers, venues, caterers and the shops on South Congress. Economists call that the multiplier effect.
It also starts early. Teams arrive seven to nine days before the race, 500 to 700 people each, which Visit Austin CEO Tom Noonan described as "the equivalent of having like a citywide convention in town even before the race even starts."
How full are Austin hotels during F1?
Very. Visit Austin forecast 92% to 95% occupancy citywide for 2026. The Fairmont downtown has 1,048 rooms, and its general manager told CBS Austin the hotel sold almost 3,000 rooms over the weekend.
The best measured year is 2022. According to CoStar, Austin's upper tier hotels that weekend:
- Averaged 91% occupancy, with Saturday at 94%
- Charged an average of $676 a night, an all time high
- Sold about 14,200 rooms for $29 million, up 38% from the year before
What about the airport?
The Monday after the race is now one of the busiest travel days of the year at Austin-Bergstrom. The record is 45,048 departing passengers, set the Monday after the 2025 Grand Prix. Airport officials expected 2026 to come close or pass it. The final count for October 26 hadn't been published when this post went up.
Who pays for the race?
Texas helps. Through the Governor's Office Major Events Reimbursement Program, the state paid about $41 million toward the 2025 race, its largest payment for any US Grand Prix. The payout is sized on the extra sales, hotel, rental car and alcohol tax the event brings in, so the state is betting the race pays for itself. The contract keeps F1 at COTA through 2034.
What it means if you live in Austin
I sell houses here, so this is the part I think about.
It keeps Austin in front of the people who end up moving here. Formula 1 counts about 52 million fans in the US. Hundreds of thousands of them just spent a weekend in Austin at its best: warm October weather, live music, good food. For some of them, that's how a move starts.
The jobs behind it are year round. Visit Austin counts about 30 million visitors a year and roughly 148,000 local jobs in hospitality and tourism. F1 is the biggest weekend in a busy October that also has ACL Fest.
Renting your house out for race weekend? It can pay well, but the City of Austin requires a short term rental license, and many HOAs have their own rules. Check both before you list.
Living near the track. COTA sits in far southeast Travis County near Del Valle. You get one weekend of heavy traffic a year, and an area that has seen a lot of new building as Austin keeps growing east and south.
If the weekend has you thinking about moving here, the Austin relocation guide covers 45 neighborhoods, and the Austin housing market data has ten years of prices month by month.
Common questions
What is the economic impact of F1 on Austin?
Visit Austin projected more than $1 billion in economic impact from the 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, with about half from direct spending by visitors and teams. COTA founder Bobby Epstein estimated about $1.3 billion from out of state visitors. Angelou Economics estimated total spending of about $1.1 billion in 2024 and $970 million in 2025.
How many people attended F1 in Austin in 2026?
Formula 1 announced 467,000 attendees across the four day event at Circuit of The Americas, October 22 to 25, 2026. That is a cumulative weekend total and a record for the race in Austin.
How much has COTA contributed to the Texas economy?
Angelou Economics estimates Circuit of The Americas has generated more than $13.7 billion in economic impact for Texas over its first 15 years.
How full are Austin hotels during the US Grand Prix?
Visit Austin forecast 92% to 95% hotel occupancy citywide for the 2026 race. In 2022, CoStar reported Austin's upper tier hotels averaged 91% occupancy at an average rate of $676 a night.
Does Texas pay for the Austin Grand Prix?
Partly. Texas paid about $41 million toward the 2025 race through the Governor's Office Major Events Reimbursement Program, which is sized on the new state tax revenue the event is expected to produce.
How long will Formula 1 stay in Austin?
The United States Grand Prix is contracted at Circuit of The Americas through 2034.
Sources: 2026 attendance announced by Formula 1, October 26, 2026. Economic impact projection, hotel occupancy forecast, 2021 Texas Governor's Office spending review, Visit Austin visitor and jobs figures, US fan count and the 2034 extension from the City of Austin Economic Development Department, October 26, 2026. Bobby Epstein estimates, COTA staffing, Fairmont Austin bookings and Angelou Economics figures from CBS Austin, October 21, 2026. Team arrival figures and 2022 CoStar hotel data from Visit Austin CEO Tom Noonan and CoStar as reported by Hoodline and KXAN, October 2026. 2014 figure from the Greyhill Advisors study commissioned by COTA. Airport record from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. State reimbursement from the Texas Governor's Office Events Trust Funds award spreadsheet, as reported by PaddockIntel, October 19, 2026. Economic impact figures are estimates from the groups named, not audited results.