AAA forecasts 45 million Memorial Day 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, setting what the group called a record for the weekend. The forecast covers Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25. The travel organization said the total is slightly above the 44.8 million travelers it counted for the same holiday in 2025. AAA defines its Memorial Day forecast as domestic trips of 50 miles or more. ### How many people does AAA expect to travel, and what counts in the forecast? AAA said its 2026 projection covers domestic travel only and counts trips of at least 50 miles from home. The organization set the travel window at five days, from Thursday, May 21, to Monday, May 25. The 45 million figure would edge past last year’s holiday total and follow two other strong Memorial Day forecasts from AAA: 45.1 million in 2025 and 43.8 million in 2024. In its 2025 release, AAA said that year’s projection set a new Memorial Day weekend record, topping the previous high of 44 million in 2005. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### How many travelers are expected to drive? AAA projected 39.1 million people will travel by car over the holiday weekend, or about 87% of all Memorial Day travelers. The group said that would be a slight increase from 2025 and another record for road travel over the holiday. (newsroom.aaa.com) Gasoline prices are higher than they were a year ago, according to AAA’s release. The group said the national average for regular gasoline was $3.17 on Memorial Day last year and said current pump prices are the highest since the summer of 2022. AAA’s fuel-price page says it tracks averages from 130,000 gas stations nationwide. (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA also used the forecast to issue road-safety advice. The organization said it handled more than 350,000 roadside assistance calls over Memorial Day weekend last year, including dead batteries, flat tires and empty fuel tanks. ### What does AAA say about flights and other travel? (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA projected 3.66 million travelers will take domestic flights, representing about 8% of holiday travelers. The group said that is a small increase from last year. AAA booking data showed round-trip domestic flights for Memorial Day weekend were 6% cheaper than a year earlier, with an average ticket price of $800. (newsroom.aaa.com) The organization said those figures reflect what travelers paid when they booked, and that many trips were reserved before rising jet-fuel prices began affecting airfare. AAA said 2.2 million people are expected to travel by other modes, including bus, train and cruise, up 5% from last year. ### What are rental-car companies and AAA seeing ahead of the weekend? Hertz, identified by AAA as its car-rental partner, expects Thursday and Friday to be the busiest pickup days for the holiday weekend. (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA said the five markets with the highest rental demand are Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver and Boston. AAA also said domestic car rentals are 1% cheaper this holiday weekend than they were a year ago, based on its booking data. ### What explanation did AAA give for the strong demand? Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in the release that Memorial Day marks “the unofficial start of summer” and that “travel demand remains strong.” She said many Americans are still prioritizing leisure travel during holiday breaks despite higher fuel prices. (newsroom.aaa.com) Thursday, May 21, is the first day in AAA’s Memorial Day travel window, and Monday, May 25, is the last. AAA said drivers can check current fuel averages through its gas-price tracking service as the holiday approaches. (newsroom.aaa.com)