Hitting the road for Memorial Day weekend? According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), you won’t be alone: The organization estimates that 43.8 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home this Memorial Day weekend (Thursday, May 23 through Monday, May 27)—up 4% from last year.
“We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” Paula Twidale, senior vice President of AAA Travel said in a recent news release. The current record was set in 2005, when 44 million people celebrated the unofficial start of summer by getting out of town.
This year, AAA predicts that roughly 3.51 million Memorial Day weekend travelers will fly to their destination—up 4.8% from 2023—while around 1.9 million will take trains, buses, and cruises, an increase of 5.6% over last year.
Road trips are proving to be the most popular way to kick off the summer of 2024. According to AAA’s projections, 38.4 million people will travel by car over Memorial Day weekend, more than any other year since the organization started keeping track of this figure in 2000.
While that will likely increase your chances of hitting traffic—whether you’re traveling locally or long-distance—certain days will be busier than others. To help you plan your trip, AAA has predicted the best and worst times to drive this Memorial Day weekend. Here’s what to know.
The best and worst times to drive during Memorial Day weekend 2024
Using data from INRIX, a firm providing transportation insights, experts at AAA have determined that these are the best and worst times to hit the road this Memorial Day weekend. The times listed below are all applicable in your local time zone.
Thursday, May 23
Friday, May 24
Saturday, May 25
Sunday, May 26
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Worst time: 3—7 p.m.
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Best time: Before 1 p.m.
Monday, May 27
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Worst time: 3—7 p.m.
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Best time: After 7 p.m.
Other things to note:
Gas prices should be similar to last year’s national average of roughly $3.57 per gallon, though AAA experts indicate that fuel costs could increase once the summer driving season is in full swing.
Also, if your road trip takes you anywhere near one or more of the country’s major metropolitan areas, AAA has additional information available on when traffic will be the worst, broken down by the city and route.
The bottom line: A lot of people will be traveling over Memorial Day weekend, so give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination.
“Travel times are expected to be up to 90% longer than normal,” Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX said in the AAA news release. “Travelers should stay up to date on traffic apps, 511 services, and local news stations to avoid sitting in traffic longer than necessary.”
