The Online Dating Pool Just Got Bigger

If you're looking for love online, there's a good chance you checked out potential dates' profiles this weekend.

According to data by Match.com, late afternoon on the first Sunday after New Year's Day is the busiest time of the year for online dating.

Match.com said it's on track to have more than 2 million users logging on over 36 million times in the first week of January. But the busiest period actually kicks off on Christmas Day each year and typically lasts until Feb. 14, when the site sees a 30% increase in new member signups.  Similarly, dating site PlentyOfFish is anticipating record traffic on Sunday too, but a bit earlier in the night: 5:00 p.m. ET.

Those who decide to date online in January will be 15% more likely to meet someone compared to all other months of the year, Match.com's research team found. According to the company, it takes men about 10 weeks to meet a partner online and about eight weeks for women to do the same.

Over the past year, Match.com noticed a jump in certain demographics flocking to the site to find love, including those with jobs in education (46%) and fashion (47%), single parents (up 45%) and people who are currently quitting smoking (45%).

Meanwhile, PlentyOfFish noticed that people are looking for adventure-seeking athletic types the most these days — animal lovers, good dressers and foodies were most sought after in previous years.