AAA expects 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, from Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25. The forecast is slightly above the 44.8 million travelers AAA estimated for the same holiday window in 2025. The group said 39.1 million people are expected to drive, which would set a Memorial Day record, and 3.66 million are expected to fly. The figures come as gasoline prices are running above year-earlier levels, while airfare for travelers who booked early is lower than last year, according to AAA. ### How big is AAA’s Memorial Day forecast this year? AAA said the 45 million figure would be a new Memorial Day weekend high for domestic travel. The organization defines the holiday period as trips of at least 50 miles from home between May 21 and May 25. (newsroom.aaa.com) The 44.8 million figure from 2025 is the comparison point AAA used in its release. Stacey Barber, AAA’s vice president of travel, said in the statement that demand remained strong even with higher fuel prices. ### Why is the driving number getting the most attention? (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA said 39.1 million travelers are expected to go by car, accounting for 87% of all Memorial Day travelers. That would be the highest driving total on record for the holiday, according to the group’s forecast. (newsroom.aaa.com) More than 350,000 roadside assistance calls came in over the 2025 Memorial Day weekend for problems including dead batteries, flat tires and empty fuel tanks, AAA said. The group urged drivers to check batteries, tire pressure and fluids before leaving. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### What about flights and other travel? AAA said 3.66 million travelers are expected to take domestic flights, or about 8% of the holiday total. The group said round-trip domestic airfare was 6% cheaper than a year earlier for travelers who booked Memorial Day trips in advance, with an average ticket price of $800. (newsroom.aaa.com) Another 2.2 million people are expected to travel by bus, train or cruise, up 5% from last year, AAA said. The organization’s release said those figures are based on its travel booking data and forecasting methodology for domestic holiday trips. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### How expensive is gas heading into the weekend? AAA said drivers are paying more than they did over Memorial Day weekend in 2025, when the national average for regular gasoline was $3.17 a gallon. The organization said current pump prices are the highest since the summer of 2022. (newsroom.aaa.com) The U.S. Energy Information Administration said the national average for regular gasoline was $4.50 a gallon in its May 11 update, up 4.8 cents from the prior week and $1.38 from a year earlier. The agency’s next gasoline price update is scheduled for May 19. ### When are the worst traffic windows expected? (newsroom.aaa.com) INRIX, the transportation-data company cited by AAA, said the heaviest congestion is expected on Thursday and Friday between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., and again on Monday afternoon. Sunday is expected to be the lightest day for traffic, barring unexpected road incidents, according to the AAA release. (eia.gov) Hertz, which AAA identified as its car-rental partner, said Thursday and Friday are expected to be the busiest pickup days for rental cars. AAA said the five markets with the highest rental demand are Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver and Boston, and that domestic car rentals are 1% cheaper than a year earlier. (newsroom.aaa.com) May 19 is the next scheduled EIA gasoline-price release, and May 21 is the first day of AAA’s Memorial Day travel window. Travelers will begin moving into that period with AAA projecting record road traffic and INRIX pointing to Thursday afternoon as one of the peak congestion periods. (eia.gov) (newsroom.aaa.com)