More than 45 million Americans are expected to travel over Memorial Day weekend, according to a new report from AAA. The holiday travel period runs from Thursday through midnight on Monday.
AAA projects that about 45.1 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home during the holiday. That’s an increase of 1.4 million compared to Memorial Day weekend in 2024.
This year’s travel numbers could mark the busiest Memorial Day weekend since 2005, when more than 44 million people hit the road or skies for the holiday.
“Memorial Day weekend getaways don’t have to be extravagant and costly,” said Clay Ingram, spokesperson for AAA Alabama. “Some travelers fly across the country for dream vacations, but many just take a simple road trip to the beach or visit friends. These long weekends are great opportunities for travel, especially since many workers get an extra day off and students are out of school.”
Most travelers will be driving. AAA expects 39.4 million Americans to travel by car, up about 1 million from last year. Ingram noted that lower gas prices are encouraging more people to hit the road. The national average gas price is $3.19 per gallon, compared to $3.59 at the same time last year. In Alabama, gas is even cheaper at $2.74 per gallon.
Air travel is also on the rise. AAA estimates 3.6 million people will fly this Memorial Day weekend, a 2% increase over last year’s 3.55 million. Another 2 million travelers will use other forms of transportation like buses, trains, or cruise ships.
With more people taking advantage of affordable fuel and the long weekend, experts expect travel to be steady and widespread across the country.
