AAA forecasts 45 million Memorial Day travelers

AAA said 45 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day holiday period, the highest total on record for the weekend. The forecast, published May 11, covers Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25, according to the group’s national newsroom release. (newsroom.aaa.com) Most of those travelers are expected to go by car, continuing a pattern in which road trips dominate the start of the summer travel season. AAA said the total is slightly above the 44.8 million people who traveled over Memorial Day in 2025. (midstates.aaa.com) ### How many people are AAA and its regional clubs actually projecting? (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA’s national forecast put the total at 45 million travelers, while some regional AAA club releases described the figure as “nearly 45 million,” reflecting the same national estimate. The organization said the holiday count includes people traveling at least 50 miles from home. AAA’s national newsroom and multiple regional affiliates used the same five-day travel window and described the forecast as a Memorial Day record. The 2026 figure is only modestly above last year’s level. AAA said 44.8 million people traveled over Memorial Day in 2025, and its 2026 projection is “slightly higher” than that total. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### Why are highways doing most of the work again? AAA said 39.1 million people are expected to travel by car, making up 87% of Memorial Day travelers. The group said that would set a new Memorial Day weekend record for road travel. Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in the national release that “travel demand remains strong,” and that many people are still prioritizing leisure trips during holiday breaks despite higher fuel prices. (newsroom.aaa.com) Regional AAA clubs echoed that point in separate statements, saying road trips remain the most popular option for the holiday weekend. ### What does AAA say about flights and other ways people are traveling? AAA said 3.66 million people are expected to fly over the holiday period, another record for Memorial Day air travel. The organization also projected about 2.2 million travelers will use other modes such as trains, buses or cruises. (midstates.aaa.com) Regional AAA releases said average airfare was lower than a year earlier for travelers who booked early, even as fuel prices for drivers were higher than last Memorial Day. Those releases did not suggest a shift away from driving; instead, they showed increases across all major travel modes. (southjersey.aaa.com) ### How much of this is about prices, and how much is about habits? AAA said higher fuel prices had not stopped Americans from planning holiday trips. In its May 11 release, the group tied that resilience to the three-day weekend and to the role of Memorial Day as the unofficial start of summer. (midstates.aaa.com) AAA’s newsroom also posted a separate fuel update on May 21 under the headline “Memorial Day Weekend Gas Prices Reach Four-Year Highs,” showing that the holiday forecast was unfolding alongside more expensive pump prices. The organization did not revise its traveler estimate on that page. (midstates.aaa.com) ### What dates should travelers actually keep in mind? AAA’s forecast period runs from Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25, 2026. That is the window used in the national forecast and in regional club releases describing the 45 million estimate. AAA said travelers looking for updated conditions can track new travel and fuel postings through its newsroom pages during the holiday period. (newsroom.aaa.com) The organization’s Memorial Day forecast was published May 11, and its most recent related fuel update was posted May 21. (newsroom.aaa.com)