AAA projects 45 million Memorial travelers

AAA said on May 11 that 45 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day holiday period, a record for the weekend and a slight increase from 44.8 million a year earlier. The travel group said the forecast covers trips between Thursday, May 21, and Monday, May 25. The projection points to another heavy holiday period on highways and at airports even with fuel prices running above last year's levels. AAA's national average for a gallon of regular gasoline stood at $4.53 on May 15, according to its fuel tracker. ### How many people are expected to drive? AAA said 39.1 million travelers are expected to go by car, making driving by far the dominant mode of transportation for the holiday. That would also set a Memorial Day weekend record for road travel, according to the group's forecast. (newsroom.aaa.com) The 39.1 million figure means nearly nine in 10 projected holiday travelers will be on the road. AAA said higher fuel prices have not displaced car travel as the main option for short holiday trips. Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in the release that travel demand remained strong and that many people were still prioritizing leisure trips during holiday breaks. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### What does AAA say about flights and other trips? AAA said 3.66 million people are expected to fly over the holiday period, another record for Memorial Day weekend air travel. The group said average ticket prices were lower than a year earlier for travelers who booked early. AAA said another 2.2 million people are expected to travel by bus, train or cruise. (newsroom.aaa.com) That category remains smaller than driving and flying, but it rounds out the 45 million total in the group's domestic forecast. ### How high are gas prices heading into the weekend? AAA's fuel tracker showed the national average price for regular gasoline at $4.53 on May 15 and $4.517 on May 16. (midstates.aaa.com) AAA said on May 14 that pump prices had fallen for five straight days earlier in the week before turning higher again, with crude oil near $100 a barrel. AAA said prices were still above last Memorial Day's level even after the brief dip. The organization tracks prices from about 130,000 gas stations nationwide through its fuel-price service. ### What exactly is the holiday window in this forecast? AAA defined the Memorial Day travel period as Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25. (en.macromicro.me) That is the five-day window the group uses for its 2026 holiday estimate, rather than only the three-day weekend centered on Memorial Day itself. (gasprices.aaa.com) The forecast counts Americans traveling at least 50 miles from home. AAA publishes similar estimates around major U.S. holiday periods, using the same distance threshold to measure domestic leisure travel. ### Where will travelers and drivers see the next updates? AAA's gas-price tracker updates daily, and the organization posts state and national averages on its fuel-prices site. (newsroom.aaa.com) Regional AAA clubs have also republished the national Memorial Day forecast with local commentary ahead of the May 21 start of the travel window. May 21 is the next key date in the forecast, when AAA's Memorial Day travel period begins. (newsroom.aaa.com) The holiday window runs through May 25, and AAA's fuel-price pages will continue to show daily national and state averages as travelers head onto the roads. (gasprices.aaa.com)