Memorial Day Weekend Travel to Set Record Says AAA

Get ready for clogged roads and airports.  AAA predicts more than 45 million of us will be on the move over Memorial Day weekend, the largest number in 20 years, and more than one million more than last year.

Not surprisingly, nearly everybody will be traveling by car – more than 39 million of us – also an increase of one million compared with last year, and also a record.

AAA projects 45.1 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day holiday period from Thursday, May 22 to Monday, May 26.

This year’s domestic travel forecast is up 1.4 million travelers compared to last year and sets a new Memorial Day weekend record. The previous record was set back in 2005 with 44 million people.

Despite concerns over rising prices, many Americans say they’re taking advantage of the long holiday weekend to spend time with loved ones, even if the trips are closer to home.

Memorial Day Travel by Mode of Transportation

By Car:

AAA projects 39.4 million people will travel by car over Memorial Day weekend. That’s an additional one million travelers compared to last year.

Driving is the preferred mode of transportation during holiday travel periods, with 87% of Memorial Day travelers choosing to take road trips.

This year, drivers have the benefit of cheaper gas prices. Last Memorial Day, the national average for a gallon of regular was $3.59.

This spring – thanks to lower crude oil prices – gasoline prices so far have avoided normal seasonal spikes.

But the unofficial start of summer kicks off the busy driving season, which means demand is expected to rise, and pump prices may creep up along with it. Gas prices typically peak in the summer and start coming down when schools go back in session in the fall.

For drivers who are renting cars over Memorial Day weekend, AAA car rental partner Hertz says Friday, May 23 is expected to be the busiest day for pickup.

SUVs are some of the most popular rental vehicles for the long holiday weekend.

Hertz says the cities seeing the highest demand for rental cars include Orlando, Denver, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Miami, and Seattle – all cities in AAA’s Top Destinations list.

By Air:

Airports are bracing for another bustling holiday weekend. That means delays and even cancellations, such as the Newark Airport chaos from an out-of-service runway and failures in the air traffic control system.

AAA projects 3.61 million air passengers, a nearly 2% increase over last year when 3.55 million travelers took to the skies.

While this Memorial Day weekend isn’t expected to set an air travel record – that was set back in 2005 with 3.64 million travelers – this year’s numbers are projected to surpass pre-pandemic levels by 12%.

AAA booking data shows domestic flights are 2% more expensive compared to last year, with the average roundtrip ticket costing $850.

Most of those flights are to such popular destinations as Chicago, New York, Orlando, Denver, and Seattle.

By Train, Bus, Cruise Ship:

Travel by other modes has been increasing steadily since the pandemic.

AAA projects 2.08 million people will travel by train, bus, or cruise over Memorial Day weekend, an 8.5% increase over last year.

That is more than in 2018 and 2019, the two years before the pandemic, but does not reach the record numbers of the early 2000s when more people were choosing trains and buses post 9/11.

Cruising’s growing popularity is highlighted by the strong demand for Alaska cruises this season.

Top domestic cruise destinations for Memorial Day weekend include Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Juneau. Overall, travelers are turning to cruises in record numbers.

Earlier this year, AAA projected that a record 19 million Americans planned to take cruises in 2025.

Best/Worst Times to Drive and Peak Congestion by Metro

INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, expects the afternoons over Memorial Day weekend to be the most congested.

Travelers should hit the road during the morning hours. Boston, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, DC are the metros that can expect the heaviest traffic.

• Times listed below are for the local time zone in which the metro is located. 

SOURCE: INRIX

AAA’s Top Memorial Day Weekend Destinations

Domestic Destinations –  Orlando tops the domestic list thanks to its popular theme parks and nearby cruise port, Port Canaveral. Cruising is also the reason Seattle and Anchorage made the top 10 list, since Memorial Day kicks off peak Alaska cruise season.

International Destinations –  Rome is the number one destination. Vancouver is also popular because of its cruise port. The rest of the list is made up of all European cities, as those destinations continue to draw high volumes of visitors.

For information on study methodology, visit www.aaa.com.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 25+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is the Immediate Past President of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA).

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter also is a member of the North American Travel Journalists Assn. (NATJA) and the North American Snowsports Journalists Assn. (NASJA).

Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.

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