AAA forecasts 45 million Memorial travelers

AAA said 45 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day holiday period, a new record for the weekend. The forecast covers trips between Thursday, May 21, and Monday, May 25, according to the auto club’s May 20 travel outlook. (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA said the total is slightly above last year’s level and comes even with higher gasoline prices heading into the holiday. The largest share of travelers will go by car. AAA said 39.1 million people are expected to drive over the five-day holiday stretch, while 3.66 million are forecast to fly. Regional forecasts point to the same pattern: AAA Texas said 3.7 million Texans are expected to travel between Thursday and Monday. (nbcdfw.com) ### Why is the forecast drawing attention this year? AAA said the 45 million figure would set a Memorial Day weekend record. The group said the 2026 forecast is slightly higher than 2025, when 44.8 million people traveled for the holiday. (newsroom.aaa.com) Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in the organization’s release that Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer and a three-day weekend for most Americans. That calendar effect, rather than any one destination, is helping keep demand high, according to AAA’s forecast. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### How many people are expected to drive? AAA said 39.1 million travelers will go by road, making driving by far the dominant mode for the holiday. Yahoo News, citing the AAA forecast, reported that the driving total comes despite higher gas prices than a year earlier. (newsroom.aaa.com) Higher pump prices have not erased road-trip demand in prior holiday forecasts either. AAA’s regional releases said many travelers still choose car trips because they offer more flexibility and can be easier to manage over a long weekend. ### What does AAA say about flying? AAA said 3.66 million people are expected to fly over Memorial Day weekend, which would also be a holiday record. (newsroom.aaa.com) The group said average ticket prices for travelers who booked early were lower than last year, even as fuel costs for drivers were running higher. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, in a national report on the forecast, also said air travel is expected to set a record this year. (newsroom.aaa.com) That outlet said the holiday period is shaping up as one of the busiest starts to the summer travel season. (mwg.aaa.com) ### What are states and regions reporting? AAA Texas said 3.7 million Texans are expected to travel over Memorial Day weekend, up from the prior year and extending a run of record holiday travel in the state. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported the state forecast covers travel between Thursday and Monday. (newsroom.aaa.com) Other AAA regional releases echoed the national numbers. AAA Mid States and AAA Northeast both published versions of the forecast showing the same 45 million national total and the same May 21-25 travel window. ### What should travelers watch next? (nbcdfw.com) May 21 is the first day of AAA’s Memorial Day travel window, and the forecast runs through Monday, May 25. AAA’s newsroom and regional clubs are publishing updates tied to holiday traffic, fuel prices and travel conditions as the weekend unfolds. (newsroom.aaa.com) (midstates.aaa.com) (nbcdfw.com)