Independent military travel planning aid

Find the right CONUS per diem rate.

Search official GSA data and learn why destination, fiscal year, and lodging month can change the result.

Published by Moulton Holdings LLC · Sources reviewed August 21, 2026 · Not affiliated with the U.S. Government

1

Where are you going?

For CONUS trips, search official GSA data or enter the authorized rates manually. For OCONUS, enter the locality rates from the appropriate official source or your orders.

No rate loaded yet.

2

How long are you going?

Use the departure and return dates from the authorization. Choose a reduced factor only when the written authorization establishes one.

Trip length alone does not automatically reduce the locality rate. A reduced rate must be authorized under the applicable travel rules.

3

What did the trip authorize?

Leave unknown optional items blank. If actual lodging is blank, the report clearly labels its use of the authorized lodging ceiling as an estimate.

4

Were deductible meals furnished?

Count only meals that the applicable rules require you to deduct. Common-carrier meals and complimentary hotel meals generally do not reduce federal M&IE.

CONUS rate guide

Choose the rate for the temporary-duty locality and the month lodging occurs.

GSA establishes CONUS per diem rates for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. A rate has two distinct parts: a maximum lodging allowance and an M&IE allowance. Most locations use the standard CONUS rate, while designated non-standard areas use locality-specific rates. Lodging can change by month; M&IE is generally tied to the locality.

For fiscal year 2026, the standard CONUS rate is $110 for lodging and $68 for M&IE. Locality M&IE tiers range from $68 to $92. Those figures are useful as a reasonableness check, but they are not a substitute for looking up the exact destination and travel month.

Which search should you use?

ZIP code

Best when the authorization or lodging address identifies the exact destination. It reduces ambiguity between nearby localities.

City and state

Useful when orders name a city but omit a ZIP. Review the returned county or locality before accepting it.

County and state

Useful when GSA publishes a county-based locality. County names are not unique nationally, so always include the state.

Installation

A convenience mapping to a nearby ZIP for supported bases. Confirm the returned locality because an installation can span more than one ZIP or county.

Why a valid lookup may still need review

  • The temporary-duty location, not the traveler’s hotel preference, normally determines the locality.
  • A seasonal lodging cap can change between arrival and departure months.
  • Actual lodging is normally reimbursed only up to the applicable ceiling unless actual-expense authority or another exception applies.
  • A rate lookup does not decide whether government quarters, integrated lodging, or a contracted room must be used.

The installation search is curated convenience data, not an official base-to-rate determination. When its result conflicts with orders, DTS, or the official GSA/DTMO lookup, use the official source and contact the authorizing or finance office.

Rate references

GSA rate lookup, GSA downloadable rate files, and GSA Per Diem API documentation.