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AAA projects more than 45 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home during the five-day holiday stretch, making it the busiest Memorial Day weekend for domestic travel since 2005. That year, 44 million people took trips.
This year’s forecast includes an estimated 39.4 million people expected to hit the road. Driving remains the preferred travel method for Memorial Day, with roughly 87 percent choosing to travel by car.
Lower-than-usual gas prices this spring are helping keep road trips more affordable, though rising demand could push prices up as the weekend nears.
For air travelers, airports are expected to see heavy crowds. AAA predicts 3.61 million people will take to the skies, with airfare averaging $850 per roundtrip for domestic flights.
That’s a slight increase from last year, but bookings show travelers are still prioritizing popular cities like New York, Chicago, Orlando, Denver, and Seattle.
Meanwhile, more than 2 million people are expected to travel by train, bus, or cruise. The cruise industry in particular continues to grow, with Alaska sailings in high demand and cities like Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks seeing a holiday surge.
“Memorial Day weekend getaways don’t have to be extravagant and costly,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “While some travelers embark on dream vacations and fly hundreds of miles across the country, many families just pack up the car and drive to the beach or take a road trip to visit friends.”
AAA says Friday, May 23 is expected to be the busiest day for car rentals, with SUVs among the most popular vehicles. Top rental cities include Orlando, Denver, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Miami, and Seattle.
Heavy traffic is also expected on Thursday, May 22, especially around major metro areas. Travelers are advised to hit the road early in the day to avoid peak congestion.
Memorial Day is Monday, May 26.
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