If you travel during Memorial Day weekend, be prepared to encounter crowds. AAA says record numbers of travelers are expected next weekend (May 25-27).
An estimated 43.8 million Americans are expected to pack their bags for a trip of 50 miles or more over the holiday weekend, a 4% increase over last year and close to the previous record of 44 million in 2005. It is a number.
“We haven't seen such high levels of Memorial Day weekend travel in the last 20 years,” Paula Tweedale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a press release. “We expect an additional 1 million more people to travel this weekend compared to 2019. Not only does this mean we have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, but it also marks the arrival of a very busy summer travel season. It means to.”
Road trippers will arrive in historic numbers since AAA began tracking data in 2000, and roads and airports will be extremely busy. That number is 38.4 million drivers, an increase of 4% over last year.
According to AAA, 3.51 million airline passengers are expected to take to the skies over the holiday weekend, an increase of 4.8% from 2023. This will make Memorial Day weekend the busiest at the airport since 2005.
More information: Best travel insurance
If you're looking to take a Memorial Day weekend getaway, here's everything you need to know about traffic.
Summer is almost here. Here's everything you need to know for your summer trip.
What are the most popular destinations for Memorial Day weekend getaways?
Most popular domestic destinations:
Orlando Seattle, New York Las Vegas, Anaheim/Los Angeles
Most popular international destinations:
Rome Vancouver, Canada London Paris Dublin
When is the best time to drive over Memorial Day weekend?
To avoid the worst of the traffic jams, drivers leaving for long weekend trips on Thursday, May 23 and Friday, May 24 should be on the road before 11 a.m. or after 7 p.m. Thursday and 8 p.m. Friday. You should come out.
Travelers leaving by car on Saturday, May 25th can avoid the worst of the traffic jams by leaving before 1pm and after 6pm. On Sunday, drivers must leave by 1pm to avoid the worst traffic jams.
Travelers returning on Monday, May 27 should board the ship after 7pm if they want to avoid peak traffic.
When is the best time to drive over Memorial Day weekend?
Travelers can expect the most traffic congestion on Thursday between noon and 6 p.m.
This is because commuter traffic is expected to be heavy between noon and 7 p.m. on Friday.
Peak weekend traffic is expected to be between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM on Saturday and between 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM on Sunday.
On Memorial Day, drivers returning home can expect peak traffic between 3pm and 7pm, peak rush hour.
Peak congestion hours in major U.S. cities
Unfortunately, travelers passing through major metropolitan areas can expect travel times to be up to 90% longer than usual, said INRIX transportation analyst Bob Picheux. “Travelers should stay informed on transit apps, 511 services and local news stations to avoid sitting in traffic any longer than necessary,” Pichue said in a statement.
atlanta
Worst route: Atlanta to Savannah E via Interstate 16 Worst day: Saturday, May 25th Worst time: 4:45 p.m. Estimated travel time: 5 hours 31 minutes 54% increase in travel time
boston
Worst route: Manchester to Boston via I-93 Worst day: Sunday, May 26 Worst time: 8:45 a.m. Estimated travel time: 1 hour 48 minutes Increased travel time by 50%
Chicago
Worst route: Milwaukee to Chicago via I-94 E Worst day: Sunday, May 26th Worst time: 4:30 p.m. Estimated travel time: 2 hours 25 minutes 27% increase in travel time
denver
Worst route: Fort Collins to Denver via I-25 Worst day: Sunday, May 26 Worst time: 4:15 p.m. Estimated travel time: 1 hour 24 minutes 56% increase in travel time
Los Angeles
Worst route: LA to Bakersfield via I-5 N Worst day: Thursday, May 23rd Worst time: 6:15 pm Estimated travel time: 2 hours 45 minutes Increase in travel time by 84%
new york
Worst route: New York to Albany via I-87N Worst day: Thursday, May 23 Worst time: 11:45 a.m. Estimated travel time: 2 hours 37 minutes Increase in travel time by 84%
Philadelphia
Worst route: Philadelphia to Baltimore/DC Worst day: Friday, May 24 Worst time: 7:30 a.m. Estimated travel time: 2 hours 37 minutes 64% increase in travel time
San Francisco
Worst route: San Francisco to Napa via I-80 Worst day: Friday, May 24 Worst time: 11 a.m. Estimated travel time: 1 hour 34 minutes Increase in travel time by 56%
Washington DC
Worst route: Washington DC to Baltimore via Balt/Wash Pkwy N Worst day: Friday, May 24 Worst time: 2:15 PM Estimated travel time: 1 hour 21 minutes 72% increase in travel time
Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. Please contact kwong@usatoday.com.
