USA Today: best, worst times to drive

Memorial Day traffic advice is out early this year because the roads are going to be packed. AAA says 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles between Thursday, May 21, and Monday, May 25, and 39.1 million of them will go by car. That is a new Memorial Day record, just above 2025’s 44.8 million travelers. USA Today turned the AAA and INRIX traffic guidance into a simple map of when driving gets ugly — and when it doesn’t. ### What actually changed? The new piece of information is not just “lots of people will travel.” It is the timing. AAA’s 2026 forecast now pairs the travel count with INRIX guidance showing that the worst congestion should hit on Thursday and Friday afternoons, with Monday afternoon also rough as people head home. Sunday looks like the lightest day, assuming no crashes or weather problems blow up the pattern. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### Why are afternoons the danger zone? Basically, everyone makes the same decision. People work part of the day, pick up a rental car, load the kids, then leave after lunch. That stacks holiday traffic on top of normal commuter traffic. INRIX’s broad rule is simple — mornings are better, afternoons are worse. If you can leave early, you dodge the biggest wave. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### Which days look worst? Thursday, May 21, is the big setup day for gridlock, especially later in the day. Friday, May 22, stays bad from midafternoon into early evening. Monday, May 25, gets jammed again when return trips collide with the regular end-of-weekend push back into metro areas. That means the classic “leave after lunch” move is exactly the one most likely to cost extra hours. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### So when should people drive? Early is the answer. AAA’s guidance says travelers should hit the road during morning hours, not the afternoon peak. Sunday is the easiest day overall, and even on the busier days, getting out before lunch is the safer bet. Turns out the advice is less about a magic shortcut and more about not joining the largest traffic wave. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### Why is this year more intense? Because the volume is bigger. AAA’s forecast says 45 million people will travel over the holiday window, up from 44.8 million last year. Driving still dominates — 87% of Memorial Day travelers are expected to go by car. So even a modest increase in total travelers puts a lot more vehicles onto the same chokepoints at roughly the same hours. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### Are costs changing the picture? Yes, but not enough to keep people home. AAA says gas prices are higher than last Memorial Day and are at their highest level since summer 2022. Even so, travel demand remains strong. The interesting split is that airfare is cheaper for people who booked early, but the road trip still wins on volume by a mile. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### What else trips people up besides traffic? Car trouble. AAA handled more than 350,000 roadside assistance calls over Memorial Day weekend last year for dead batteries, flat tires, and empty gas tanks. With this many people driving, a little prep matters — tire pressure, fluids, battery check, full tank before the rush. The catch is that breakdowns compound congestion for everyone else too. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### Bottom line? This is a timing story more than a mileage story. The road trip itself is not the problem — leaving in the same afternoon window as millions of other people is. If you can go in the morning, or shift to Sunday, you are not beating Memorial Day traffic so much as sidestepping the one predictable wave. (newsroom.aaa.com)