AAA: 45 Million Americans Planning Memorial Day Weekend Getaways   

This year’s forecast is slightly higher than 2025 when 44.8 million people traveled for the holiday 

WASHINGTON, DC (May 11, 2026) – AAA projects 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for Memorial Day between Thursday, May 21 and Monday, May 25. This year’s domestic travel forecast is slightly higher than last year and sets a new Memorial Day weekend record with 39.1 million people traveling by car and 3.66 million expected to fly to their destinations. While gas prices are higher than last Memorial Day weekend, average ticket prices for flights are lower than last year for those who booked early. 

“Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and for most Americans, it’s a three-day weekend,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “Travel demand remains strong, and despite higher fuel prices, many people are prioritizing leisure travel during holiday breaks.” 

Memorial Day Travelers by Mode of Transportation 

By Car: AAA projects 39.1 million people will travel by car over Memorial Day weekend, a slight jump over last year. Driving is the most popular way to travel and makes up 87% of the share of Memorial Day travelers. This holiday weekend, drivers are paying more at the pump compared to last year when the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.17 on Memorial Day. Currently, pump prices are the highest they’ve been since the summer of 2022.  

With a record number of travelers on the road this holiday weekend, AAA reminds drivers to put safety first, Slow Down, Move Over, and drive sober. Before hitting the road, check your car’s battery, tire pressure, and fluids. Last Memorial Day weekend, AAA responded to more than 350,000 emergency roadside assistance calls to help stranded drivers with issues like dead batteries, flat tires, and empty fuel tanks. 

For travelers who are renting cars over Memorial Day weekend, AAA car rental partner Hertz says Thursday and Friday are expected to be the busiest pick-up days. The top 5 markets with the highest demand are Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver, and Boston. According to AAA booking data, domestic car rentals are 1% cheaper this holiday weekend compared to last year. 

By Air: AAA projects 3.66 million travelers will take domestic flights over Memorial Day weekend, a small increase over last year. Air travelers make up 8% of the share of travelers this holiday weekend. According to AAA data, which is based on what travelers paid when they booked their Memorial Day weekend trips, roundtrip domestic flights are 6% cheaper compared to last year, with an average ticket costing $800. Most of those trips were booked before rising jet fuel prices started affecting airfare. 

By Other Modes: Travel by other modes is expected to go up by 5% with 2.2 million people traveling by bus, train, or cruise over Memorial Day weekend. Alaska cruise season kicks off this time of year, and the popularity of Alaska cruises is a driving factor in this category’s growth. 

AAA’s Top Memorial Day Weekend Destinations 

Memorial Day weekend travelers are taking trips to theme parks and famous landmarks, boarding cruises in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, and flying to Europe to visit iconic capital cities. Here are the top 10 domestic and international destinations, based on AAA booking data. 

RANKING	DOMESTIC	INTERNATIONAL
1	ORLANDO, FL	ROME, ITALY
2	SEATTLE, WA	VANCOUVER, CANADA
3	NEW YORK, NY	PARIS, FRANCE
4	LAS VEGAS, NV	LONDON, ENGLAND
5	MIAMI, FL	ATHENS, GREECE
6	SAN FRANCISCO, CA	DUBLIN, IRELAND
7	ANCHORAGE, AK	BARCELONA, SPAIN
8	CHICAGO, IL	SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND
9	DENVER, CO	AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
10	BOSTON, MA	EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

Best/Worst Times to Drive and Peak Congestion by Metro 

INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, says Memorial Day weekend drivers should expect the heaviest congestion on Thursday and Friday between 3pm and 6pm and Monday afternoon. Sunday should be the lightest day for traffic, barring any unexpected events on the road. According to INRIX, as congestion moves out of metro areas during holiday periods and onto highways, the risk of crashes increases as many drivers navigate unfamiliar routes outside of their normal commuting patterns. This stresses the importance of getting a good night’s rest before a road trip, planning your route ahead of time, and driving undistracted and sober. 

Please note the times listed below are for the time zone in which the metro is located. For example, Atlanta routes = ET and Los Angeles routes = PT. 

Best and Worst Times to Travel by Car
Date	Worst Time	Best Time
Thursday, May 21	12:00 PM – 9:00 PM	After 9:00 PM
Friday, May 22	11:00 AM – 8:00 PM	Before 11:00 AM
Saturday, May 23	12:00 PM – 5:00 PM	Before 11:00 AM
Sunday, May 24	Minimal Traffic Impact Expected
Monday, May 25	12:00 PM – 5:00 PM	Before 10:00 AM

Peak Congestion by Metro
Metro	Route	Peak Congestion Period	Est. Travel Time	Increase Compared to Typical
Atlanta	Atlanta to Augusta  via I-20 E	Thursday  5:15 PM	3 hours 11 minutes	43%
Boston	Boston to Hyannis  via Pilgrims Hwy S	Friday 3:15 PM	2 hours  45 minutes	94%
Chicago	Milwaukee to Chicago  via I-94 E	Thursday 4:30 PM	3 hours  5 minutes	48%
Denver	Denver to Fort Collins  via I-25 N	Monday 5:00 PM	1 hour  47 minutes	113%
Detroit	Toronto to Detroit  via I-94 W	Monday 4:00 PM	5 hours  53 minutes	44%
Houston	Houston to Austin  via I-10 W & SR-71 W	Friday 3:00 PM	3 hours 50 minutes	56%
Los Angeles	Los Angeles to Palm Springs  via I-10 E	Friday  5:30 PM	4 hours  21 minutes	88%
Minneapolis	Minneapolis to Brainerd  via US-169 N	Friday  5:15 PM	2 hours  58 minutes	30%
New York	New York to Jersey Shore  via Garden St Pkwy S	Friday  2:15 PM	2 hours  57 minutes	102%
Philadelphia	Philadelphia to Rehoboth Beach via I-95 S & Route 13 S	Thursday 4:15 PM	4 hours –	66%
Portland	Hood River to Portland  via I-84 W	Monday 6:30 PM	1 hour  34 minutes	39%
San Diego	San Diego to Palm Springs  via I-15 N	Friday 5:45 PM	4 hours  17 minutes	54%