45 Million Americans Planning Memorial Day Weekend Getaways – AAA Newsroom

WASHINGTON, DC (May 11, 2026) – AAA initiatives 45 million Americans will journey at the least 50 miles from house for Memorial Day between Thursday, May 21 and Monday, May 25. This yr’s home journey forecast is barely increased than final yr and units a brand new Memorial Day weekend file with 39.1 million individuals touring by automobile and three.66 million anticipated to fly to their locations. While fuel costs are increased than final Memorial Day weekend, common ticket costs for flights are decrease than final yr for many who booked early. 

“Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and for most Americans, it’s a three-day weekend,” stated 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 initiatives 39.1 million individuals will journey by automobile over Memorial Day weekend, a slight bounce over final yr. Driving is essentially the most well-liked approach to journey and makes up 87% of the share of Memorial Day vacationers. This vacation weekend, drivers are paying extra on the pump in comparison with final yr when the nationwide common for a gallon of normal gasoline was $3.17 on Memorial Day. Currently, pump costs are the very best they’ve been since the summer season of 2022.  

With a file variety of vacationers on the highway this vacation weekend, AAA reminds drivers to place security first, Slow Down, Move Over, and drive sober. Before hitting the highway, examine your automobile’s battery, tire strain, and fluids. Last Memorial Day weekend, AAA responded to greater than 350,000 emergency roadside help calls to assist stranded drivers with points like lifeless batteries, flat tires, and empty gasoline tanks. 

For vacationers who’re renting vehicles over Memorial Day weekend, AAA automobile rental associate Hertz says Thursday and Friday are anticipated to be the busiest pick-up days. The prime 5 markets with the very best demand are Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver, and Boston. According to AAA reserving knowledge, home automobile leases are 1% cheaper this vacation weekend in comparison with final yr. 

By Air: AAA initiatives 3.66 million vacationers will take home flights over Memorial Day weekend, a small improve over final yr. Air vacationers make up 8% of the share of vacationers this vacation weekend. According to AAA knowledge, which is primarily based on what vacationers paid once they booked their Memorial Day weekend journeys, roundtrip home flights are 6% cheaper in comparison with final yr, with a mean ticket costing $800. Most of these journeys have been booked earlier than rising jet gasoline costs began affecting airfare. 

By Other Modes: Travel by different modes is predicted to go up by 5% with 2.2 million individuals touring by bus, prepare, or cruise over Memorial Day weekend. Alaska cruise season kicks off this time of yr, and the recognition of Alaska cruises is a driving issue on this class’s progress. 

AAA’s Top Memorial Day Weekend Destinations 

Memorial Day weekend vacationers are taking journeys to theme parks and well-known landmarks, boarding cruises within the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, and flying to Europe to go to iconic capital cities. Here are the highest 10 home and worldwide locations, primarily based on AAA reserving knowledge.  

Best/Worst Times to Drive and Peak Congestion by Metro 

INRIX, a supplier of transportation knowledge and insights, says Memorial Day weekend drivers ought to count on the heaviest congestion on Thursday and Friday between 3pm and 6pm and Monday afternoon. Sunday ought to be the lightest day for visitors, barring any sudden occasions on the highway. According to INRIX, as congestion strikes out of metro areas throughout vacation intervals and onto highways, the chance of crashes will increase as many drivers navigate unfamiliar routes outdoors of their regular commuting patterns. This stresses the significance of getting an excellent night time’s relaxation earlier than a highway journey, planning your route forward of time, and driving undistracted and sober. 

Please observe the occasions listed beneath are for the time zone wherein the metro is positioned. For instance, Atlanta routes = ET and Los Angeles routes = PT. 

SOURCE: INRIX

Holiday Travel Forecast Methodology  

In cooperation with AAA, S&P Global Market Intelligence (SPGMI) developed a singular methodology to forecast precise home journey volumes. The financial variables used to forecast journey for the present vacation are leveraged from SPGMI’s proprietary databases. These knowledge embody macroeconomic drivers reminiscent of employment, output, family web value, asset costs together with inventory indices, rates of interest, housing market indicators, and variables associated to journey and tourism, together with gasoline costs, airline journey, and resort stays. AAA and SPGMI have quantified vacation journey volumes going again to 2000. 

Historical journey quantity estimates come from MMGY’s TRAVEL PERFORMANCE/MonitorSM. The PERFORMANCE/MonitorSM is a complete research measuring the journey habits of U.S. residents. MMGY contacts over 50,000 U.S. households every month to acquire detailed journey knowledge, ensuing within the distinctive capacity to estimate customer quantity and spending, establish tendencies, and forecast U.S. journey habits, all after the journeys have been taken.   

The journey forecast is reported in person-trips. In explicit, AAA and SPGMI forecast the full U.S. vacation journey quantity and anticipated mode of transportation. The journey forecast offered on this report was finalized the week of April 13, 2026. 

Because AAA vacation forecasts give attention to home leisure journey solely, comparisons to TSA passenger screening numbers shouldn’t be made. TSA knowledge consists of all passengers touring on each home and worldwide routes, whether or not touring for work or leisure. Additionally, TSA screens passengers every time they enter secured areas of the airport, due to this fact every one-way journey is counted as a passenger tally. AAA focuses on person-trips, which embody the total round-trip journey itinerary. As a outcome, direct comparisons of AAA forecast volumes and each day TSA screenings characterize various factors. 

INRIX Methodology 

INRIX blends statistically grounded fashions with real-world highway habits to forecast journey circumstances on essentially the most closely traveled routes throughout the U.S. throughout peak vacation intervals. INRIX’s vacation visitors forecast combines pre-selected high-impact journey routes, wealthy multi-source visitors knowledge, and a statistically sturdy linear regression mannequin to generate detailed, time-specific journey delay predictions. INRIX’s knowledge sources embody a wide selection of vehicle-based and infrastructure-based inputs. These embody related car GPS knowledge, cellular apps and navigation providers, roadside sensors and cameras, and industrial fleet telematics. With expansive protection, excessive temporal decision, and historic context, this forecasting course of supplies important insights for vacationers, media, and companies alike. 

Memorial Day Holiday Travel Period  

AAA’s Memorial Day vacation journey interval consists of 5 days, starting the Thursday earlier than Memorial Day and ending on Monday. 

About AAA 

Founded in 1902 by automotive lovers advocating for higher roads and safer mobility, AAA has grown into one in every of North America’s largest and most trusted membership organizations. Guided by our mission to Save Lives, Create Member Value, and Deliver Exceptional Experiences, AAA supplies world-class roadside help, journey planning, unique reductions, and dependable monetary and insurance coverage providers. Today, AAA enhances the life journey of greater than 66 million members throughout North America, together with over 58 million within the United States. Learn extra or develop into a member at AAA.com. 

About S&P Global Market Intelligence  

At S&P Global Market Intelligence, we perceive the significance of correct, deep and insightful info. Our crew of specialists delivers unmatched insights and main knowledge and expertise options, partnering with prospects to increase their perspective, function with confidence, and make choices with conviction. S&P Global Market Intelligence is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI). S&P Global is the world’s foremost supplier of credit score scores, benchmarks, analytics and workflow options within the international capital, commodity and automotive markets. With each one in every of our choices, we assist most of the world’s main organizations navigate the financial panorama to allow them to plan for tomorrow, at the moment. For extra info, go to spglobal.com/marketintelligence. 

About MMGY 

MMGY Global is the world’s main built-in advertising agency specializing within the journey, hospitality, and life-style industries. With working manufacturers all over the world, the award-winning group maintains a world communications apply in all advertising channels, serving most of the world’s premier journey and tourism manufacturers. As an organization devoted to the journey business, MMGY Global strives to create a related, inclusive, and peaceable world by selling journey as a cultural bridge of understanding. For extra info, go to www.mmgyglobal.com. 

About INRIX    

Founded in 2004, INRIX pioneered clever mobility options by remodeling massive knowledge from related units and automobiles into mobility insights. This revolutionary method enabled INRIX to develop into one of many main suppliers of information and analytics into how individuals transfer. By empowering cities, companies, and folks with useful insights, INRIX helps to make the world smarter, safer, and greener. With companions and options spanning throughout the complete mobility ecosystem, INRIX is uniquely positioned on the intersection of expertise and transportation – whether or not it’s retaining highway customers secure, bettering visitors sign timing to cut back delay and greenhouse gasses, optimizing final mile supply, or serving to uncover market insights. Learn extra at INRIX.com.