INRIX pinpoints worst Memorial Day times

AAA said 45 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day holiday period from Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25. The forecast, released May 11, would set a Memorial Day weekend record and includes 39.1 million people traveling by car and 3.66 million flying domestically. (newsroom.aaa.com) INRIX, which provided traffic analysis alongside AAA’s holiday outlook, said the heaviest road congestion is expected on Thursday and Friday between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. (inrix.com) The company also said Monday afternoon is likely to be one of the most crowded return windows of the weekend. (newsroom.aaa.com) The timing matters because Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 25, in 2026, concentrating departures into the late workday on Thursday and Friday and returns into Monday afternoon. AAA said driving will account for 87% of holiday travelers. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### When are the worst hours to be on the road? INRIX said Thursday and Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. are expected to be the worst periods for Memorial Day road traffic. The company said drivers leaving on those days should expect the biggest delays as holiday departures overlap with normal commuter traffic. (inrix.com) Monday afternoon is also expected to be heavily congested, according to INRIX. Yahoo’s report, citing AAA and INRIX, said the return-home surge is expected later in the day, and the upstream briefing for this story cited Good Morning America as saying INRIX recommended leaving before 10 a.m. local to avoid peak return traffic between noon and 5 p.m. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### How many people are expected to travel? AAA said 45 million Americans are forecast to travel over the five-day holiday period. That would be slightly above 2025 and a new record for Memorial Day weekend travel, according to the organization. (inrix.com) Of that total, 39.1 million are expected to travel by car, 3.66 million by air and 2.2 million by bus, train or cruise, AAA said. The group said road travel remains the dominant mode for the holiday. ### Why is road travel drawing the most attention? (inrix.com) AAA said nearly nine in 10 Memorial Day travelers will drive. With that many cars expected on the road, even ordinary rush-hour patterns can compound holiday backups, especially in large metro areas and on routes leading to beaches, mountains and other leisure destinations. That interpretation about congestion patterns comes from INRIX’s role as a transportation analytics provider in the AAA release. (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA also said drivers are paying more for gasoline than they were over Memorial Day weekend last year, when the national average for regular gas was $3.17 a gallon. (newsroom.aaa.com) Even so, Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in the release that “travel demand remains strong” and that many people are still prioritizing leisure trips during holiday breaks. ### What else did AAA flag for drivers? AAA said it handled more than 350,000 roadside assistance calls over last year’s Memorial Day weekend for problems including dead batteries, flat tires and empty fuel tanks. The group urged drivers to check battery condition, tire pressure and fluid levels before leaving. (inrix.com) Hertz, identified by AAA as its car rental partner, said Thursday and Friday are expected to be the busiest pickup days for rental cars. AAA said the five markets with the highest rental demand are Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver and Boston. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### What should travelers watch next? Monday, May 25, is the last day of AAA’s Memorial Day travel window, and INRIX said afternoon return traffic is expected to be crowded. AAA said 39.1 million people are expected to drive during the holiday period, making road conditions the main variable to watch through the close of the weekend. (newsroom.aaa.com)