AAA projects record 45 million travelers

AAA projected on May 11 that 45 million Americans would 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 2025 levels and sets a new Memorial Day weekend record, according to AAA and INRIX. (mwg.aaa.com) The travel group said 39.1 million people were expected to drive and 3.66 million were expected to fly. Gas prices were also running above last year’s holiday levels, even as travelers kept their plans. ### How big is this year’s Memorial Day travel wave? AAA said 45 million travelers would mark the highest Memorial Day total on record. (inrix.com) The organization said the 2026 forecast was slightly higher than 2025, when 44.8 million people traveled for the holiday. The largest share of those travelers is on the road. AAA said 39.1 million people were expected to travel by car, setting a Memorial Day record for driving trips, while air travel was projected at 3.66 million. ### Why are so many people still driving despite higher fuel costs? (mwg.aaa.com) Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said Memorial Day remains a reliable trigger for short leisure trips because many Americans use the three-day weekend to see family and friends. AAA said the holiday often supports shorter, closer-to-home travel even when prices rise. (mwg.aaa.com) Gasoline prices were adding pressure to those trips. Yahoo Finance, citing AAA data, reported the national average had climbed to about $4.56 a gallon, the highest Memorial Day level in four years. (mwg.aaa.com) ### What does the forecast say about how people are traveling? AAA said driving remained the dominant mode by a wide margin. The forecast put road travelers at nearly 87% of the total, far ahead of flyers and other travelers. That keeps highways, beach routes and regional vacation corridors at the center of the holiday rush. (mwg.aaa.com) Average airfares were lower than a year earlier for travelers who booked early, AAA said. The group said that helped support another strong flying total even though road trips remained the main story. (finance.yahoo.com) ### Where are local officials preparing for the holiday crowds? North Myrtle Beach said on May 19 that Memorial Day weekend marks the start of its peak visitor season. The city said its population can rise from about 22,000 residents to more than 100,000 people a day during the holiday period, which also overlaps with the Atlantic Beach Memorial Day Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival. (mwg.aaa.com) The North Myrtle Beach Police Department said officers were using a mobile command unit and added staffing for the weekend surge, according to local coverage. The city said police, fire and public works crews were coordinating traffic, crowd and beach-area operations. (inrix.com) ### When does this travel period end? AAA defined the Memorial Day holiday travel window as Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25. That means the heaviest return traffic and the final test for local staffing plans will come on Memorial Day itself as travelers head home. (nmb.us) North Myrtle Beach said police resources, traffic control and public safety operations would remain in place through the weekend as the city manages holiday crowds and festival traffic into Monday, May 25. (nmb.us) (mwg.aaa.com) (msn.com)