AAA projects 45 million Memorial Day travelers

AAA said 45 million Americans were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day holiday period from Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25, setting a new record for the weekend. The forecast, published May 11, was slightly above last year’s level and pointed to another heavy start to the summer travel season. The projection covers trips by car, air and other modes. It also comes as motorists and airlines manage higher travel costs heading into the holiday. ### How big is the Memorial Day travel forecast? AAA’s headline number was 45 million domestic travelers for the five-day holiday period. The group said that compared with 2025, the total was up slightly and marked a Memorial Day weekend record. AAA defines the holiday forecast as trips of at least 50 miles from home. (newsroom.aaa.com) Last year’s comparison point was 44.8 million travelers, according to AAA Northeast’s version of the forecast. That regional release said the 2026 total was part of a broader increase in domestic holiday travel, even as prices for fuel and other parts of a trip remained elevated. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### How many people are expected to drive? AAA said 39.1 million people were expected to travel by car over the Memorial Day period. That makes road trips by far the largest share of holiday travel and the main reason the overall forecast reached a record. Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in the forecast release that “despite higher fuel prices, many people are prioritizing leisure travel during holiday breaks.” Yahoo’s travel guide, citing AAA data, reported that the national average price for regular gasoline was $4.52 a gallon as of May 11, up $1.39 from a year earlier. (magazine.northeast.aaa.com) (newsroom.aaa.com) ### What does AAA say about air travel? AAA projected 3.66 million domestic air travelers for Memorial Day weekend. The group said that figure would be up 0.3% from last year and account for about 8% of all holiday travelers. Yahoo’s travel guide said the average round-trip domestic airfare for the holiday was higher than a year earlier, adding to the cost pressure facing travelers. (yahoo.com) Even so, the projected passenger count suggested air travel demand remained near record holiday levels. (magazine.northeast.aaa.com) ### What about trains, buses and cruises? AAA said 2.2 million people were expected to travel by other modes, including buses, trains and cruises. That category was projected to rise 5% from last year, according to AAA Northeast’s release. Hertz, AAA’s car-rental partner, said Thursday and Friday were expected to be the busiest pickup days for rental cars over the holiday stretch. (yahoo.com) That detail points to the front-loaded nature of the travel rush as travelers left before the Monday return. ### How busy is the Northeast expected to be? (magazine.northeast.aaa.com) AAA Northeast said about 2 million New England residents were expected to travel over the holiday weekend. The regional estimate underscored how broad the demand was beyond the national total, with heavy volumes expected across highways, airports and rental counters in the region. (magazine.northeast.aaa.com) AAA’s national holiday window runs through Monday, May 25. The next public benchmarks are likely to come from airport screening totals, roadway traffic data and post-holiday updates from AAA and regional travel groups. (newsroom.aaa.com) (magazine.northeast.aaa.com)