Memorial Day travel to set new record as drivers benefit from lower gas prices

Americans are poised to set a new record for travel over the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend, according to projections from AAA.

AAA forecasted on Monday that a total of 45.1 million people will take trips at least 50 miles from where they live between Thursday, May 22, and Monday, May 26, the day that Memorial Day falls on this year. 

The number of people projected to travel over those upcoming five days will break the long-standing Memorial Day holiday weekend record of 44 million that was notched 20 years ago, according to the organization.

AAA’s travel projection for this Memorial Day weekend is also 3.2% higher than 2024.

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The organization said 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” amid ongoing “concerns over rising prices” in the U.S.

During the Memorial Day holiday weekend, a projected 39.4 million travelers will use cars to get to their destinations, 1.2 million more than last year, according to AAA.

The organization, citing INRIX data, said driving during the mornings over the holiday weekend will be the best way to avoid traffic, as roads are anticipated to be most crowded during the afternoons.

Best and worst times to travel by car, according to AAA:

Thursday, May 22:

• Best: Before noon
• Worst: 1 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Friday, May 23

• Best: Before 11 a.m.
• Worst: Noon – 8 p.m.

Saturday, May 24

• Best: Before noon
• Worst: 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Sunday, May 25

• Best: Before 1 p.m.
• Worst: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day)

• Best: Before 2 p.m.
• Worst: 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

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Those taking car trips will “have the benefit of cheaper gas prices” over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, something AAA attributed to the lower crude oil prices this spring. 

The average cost of a gallon of regular gasoline hovered around $3.13 nationwide, according to AAA, down from $3.59 a gallon on Memorial Day in 2024.

“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,” Stacey Barber, AAA’s vice president of travel, said in a statement. “Long holiday weekends are ideal for travel because many people have an extra day off work and students are off from school.”

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Roughly 3.6 million people will catch flights over the long Memorial Day weekend this year, AAA forecasted.

While not a record for Memorial Day weekend air travel, it will mark a 1.8% increase year over year, the organization said. 

About 2 million other Americans are expected to take trains, buses or cruises to get where they want to go over the holiday weekend. Last year, roughly 1.9 million used those forms of transportation for their Memorial Day weekend trips, according to AAA.

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Memorial Day weekend is typically one of the summer’s busiest holiday travel periods, along with the Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends.