Memorial Day is coming up next week (May 27th) and AAA expects that the holiday weekend will see a record number of travelers. They report that 43.8-million travelers will be going 50 miles or more from home during the three-day weekend.
- That’s up 4% from last year and almost as many as 2005’s record of 44-million Memorial Day travelers.
- As usual, the majority of Americans will be hitting the road, with 38.4-million expected to drive to their destination.
- That’s the highest number of people traveling by car for the holiday since AAA started tracking it in 2000.
- And with all those people on the road, drivers will need to pack their patience. AAA and INRIX predict traffic will be the worst on Thursday, May 23rd between noon and 6p.m., Friday (May 24th) between noon and 7p.m. and Sunday (May 26th) between 3p.m. and 7p.m.
- To avoid those peak congestion times, they recommend leaving for your weekend trip on Thursday or Friday before 11 a.m. or after 7p.m. Those returning home on Memorial Day (Monday, May 27th), should leave after 7p.m. to steer clear of heavy traffic.
- But not everyone is flying for the holiday weekend. AAA predicts another 3.51-million will be flying, making it the most crowded Memorial Day weekend at airports since 2005.
- So where is everyone going? AAA bookings reports that the most popular domestic destination is Orlando, Florida, once again.
The Top Memorial Day Travel Destinations
- Orlando, Florida
- Seattle, Washington
- New York, New York
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Anaheim/Los Angeles, California
Source: AAA