High gas prices and airfare aren’t keeping 45 million Americans from traveling for Memorial Day weekend this year, according to a new forecast from AAA.
“Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer and for most Americans, it’s a three-day weekend,” Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement. “Travel demand remains strong, and despite high fuel prices, many people are prioritizing leisure travel over the holidays.”
Between Thursday, May 21 and Monday, May 25, a record-setting 39.1 million Americans will travel via road trip — that’s 87% of all travelers projected for the holiday weekend. Air travel and cruises have also increased slightly this year, with most trips booked before fuel prices affected travel costs.
Top Memorial Day Weekend Destinations
With domestic travel on the rise for Memorial Day weekend, most people start the summer with a trip to a theme park or an Alaska cruise.
According to AAA booking data, the top five domestic destinations are:
- orlando
- seattle
- new york
- las vegas
- miami
Meanwhile, international travelers are mainly heading to Europe, with the most popular destinations being Rome, Vancouver, Paris, London and Athens.
Best time to drive for Memorial Day weekend
If you’re hoping to avoid heavy traffic, try leaving early in the morning or at night, according to INRIX data.
The best time to hit the road is after 9 pm on Thursday and before 11 am on Friday and Saturday. Sunday is expected to have the least amount of traffic over the holiday weekend.
When returning home, drivers should drive before 10 a.m.
The worst time to drive for Memorial Day weekend
Traffic is expected to be at its worst in the afternoon during the three-day weekend. Heavy rush is expected from noon to 9 pm on Thursday and from 11 am to 8 pm on Friday. On Saturday and Monday, expect heavy traffic between noon and 5 p.m.
Peak congestion times in major US cities
atlanta
- Worst route: Atlanta to Augusta via I-20 E
- Worst day: Thursday
- Worst time: 5:15 pm
- Estimated travel time: 3 hours, 11 minutes
- Increase in travel time: 43%
boston
- Worst route: Boston to Hyannis via Pilgrim Highway S
- Worst day: Friday
- Worst time: 3:15 pm
- Estimated travel time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
- Increase in travel time: 94%
denver
- Worst route: Denver to Fort Collins via I-25 N
- Worst day: Monday
- Worst time: 5 pm
- Estimated travel time: 1 hour, 47 minutes
- Increase in travel time: 113%
houston
- Worst route: Houston to Austin via I-10 W and SR-71 W
- Worst day: Friday
- Worst time: 3 pm
- Estimated travel time: 3 hours, 50 minutes
- Increase in travel time: 56%
los angeles
- Worst route: Los Angeles to Palm Springs via I-10 E
- Worst day: Friday
- Worst time: 5:30 pm
- Estimated travel time: 4 hours, 21 minutes
- Increase in travel time: 88%
new york
- Worst route: New York to Jersey Shore via Garden St. Pkwy.
- Worst day: Friday
- Worst time: 2:15 pm
- Estimated travel time: 2 hours, 57 minutes
- Increase in travel time: 102%
san francisco
- Worst route: San Francisco to Napa via I-80E
- Worst day: Friday
- Worst time: 6:15 pm
- Estimated travel time: 2 hours, 47 minutes
- Increase in travel time: 78%
Washington DC
- Worst route: Washington, D.C. to Baltimore via bucket-washed Pkwy N
- Worst day: Thursday
- Worst time: 4:15 pm
- Estimated travel time: 1 hour, 56 minutes
- Increase in travel time: 116%