Airports Brace for 2M Memorial Day Travelers

The Chicago Department of Aviation said more than 2 million travelers were expected to pass through O’Hare and Midway international airports between Thursday, May 21, and Tuesday, May 26, as Memorial Day travel began in Chicago. O’Hare is projected to handle 1.75 million passengers during the period, while Midway is expected to see nearly 292,000 travelers, according to the department. Friday was forecast to be the busiest day at both airports. The agency said travelers should expect longer-than-usual security waits as the holiday rush builds. ### How much of the traffic is going through O’Hare? O’Hare’s projected 1.75 million passengers account for the vast majority of Chicago’s holiday air traffic. The Chicago Department of Aviation said that would be a 15% increase from the 2025 Memorial Day travel period. (nbcchicago.com) Midway’s projected volume is much smaller but still elevated. The department said nearly 292,000 passengers were expected there, up 3% from the same period last year. ### Which day is expected to be the most crowded? Friday, May 22, was projected to be the busiest day at both airports. (nbcchicago.com) The Chicago Department of Aviation said O’Hare would see its heaviest traffic on Friday, and Midway was expected to handle nearly 54,000 passengers that day. “Longer than usual wait times” were possible at security checkpoints, the department said. The Transportation Security Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection advised travelers to arrive early because of the higher passenger counts. ### How does Chicago fit into the national Memorial Day rush? (nbcchicago.com) The Transportation Security Administration said on May 20 that it expected to screen 18.3 million passengers and crew nationwide between Thursday, May 21, and Wednesday, May 27. The agency described Memorial Day as the start of the summer travel season and said staffing was in place for the period. (nbcchicago.com) AAA projected 45 million Americans would travel at least 50 miles from home over the holiday period from Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25. Of those travelers, 3.66 million were expected to fly and 39.1 million were expected to drive, according to AAA. ### What else is adding to the congestion around Chicago? (tsa.gov) AAA said 2.1 million Illinois residents were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home for Memorial Day weekend. Nearly 1.9 million were expected to drive, 111,500 were forecast to fly and more than 106,000 were projected to travel by bus, train or cruise. (inrix.com) The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the Chicago Department of Aviation’s airport forecast coincided with heavy highway traffic across the region. The paper said about 8.5 million vehicles were projected to travel on Illinois tollways over the holiday stretch. ### Where can travelers check conditions before heading out? (newsroom.acg.aaa.com) FlyChicago’s official airport sites for O’Hare and Midway publish real-time flight and delay information, along with security, parking and ground transportation updates. The Chicago Department of Aviation also maintains a media and news page for airport advisories and travel-period announcements. (chicago.suntimes.com) The Memorial Day travel window runs through Tuesday, May 26, for Chicago’s airport forecast and through Wednesday, May 27, for the TSA’s national screening projection. Travelers heading out later in the weekend can still monitor airport conditions through FlyChicago and federal checkpoint updates before leaving for O’Hare or Midway. (nbcchicago.com) (flychicago.com)