AAA projects 45 million Memorial Day travelers

AAA said 45 million Americans were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home between Thursday, May 21, and Monday, May 25, for the Memorial Day holiday period. The forecast is slightly above the 44.8 million travelers AAA estimated for the same holiday in 2025. Road trips again make up the bulk of the movement, while air travel is also near record levels for the holiday, according to AAA. Federal agencies separately said they were preparing for heavy airport volume through the week, with weather already contributing to delays at some hubs. ### How many people is AAA expecting on the move? AAA said 39.4 million people were expected to travel by car over the five-day holiday window, up 3.1% from last year. The group said another 3.61 million people were expected to fly domestically, a 1.8% increase from 2025 and close to the Memorial Day weekend record of 3.64 million set in 2005. (newsroom.aaa.com) The May 11 forecast defines Memorial Day travel as trips of at least 50 miles from home. AAA said the overall total would be the highest Memorial Day volume since it began tracking the holiday in 2000. ### Why are the road numbers still so large with gas prices elevated? AAA said drivers were still choosing cars as the dominant mode of travel even as pump prices rose this spring. (newsroom.aaa.com) In a separate May 21 fuel update, AAA said Memorial Day weekend gas prices had reached a four-year high. The travel group said lower lodging and domestic flight costs, compared with last year, helped support demand for holiday trips. (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA also said many travelers were taking advantage of the long weekend for shorter, close-to-home getaways. ### What does the airport picture look like this weekend? (newsroom.aaa.com) The Transportation Security Administration said on May 20 that it expected to screen 18.3 million passengers and crew nationwide from Thursday, May 21, through Wednesday, May 27. TSA said Sunday, May 24, was expected to be the busiest day of the period, with about 2.9 million people moving through checkpoints. (newsroom.aaa.com) The Federal Aviation Administration’s National Airspace System dashboard showed active weather-related delays on May 24, including at Chicago O’Hare, where average delays were 44 minutes due to thunderstorms. The FAA planning list also warned of possible ground stops or delay programs later Sunday at airports including Washington-area airports, New York-area airports, Boston, Philadelphia, Orlando, Tampa, Charlotte, Denver and Atlanta. (tsa.gov) ### Are airlines and airports dealing with weather or just volume? FAA status reports on May 24 pointed to thunderstorms as an immediate cause of delays at several airports. The agency’s daily air traffic report says those advisories are meant to show expected impacts to normal air traffic operations, including arrival and departure delays, ground stops and airport closures. (nasstatus.faa.gov) That means travelers this weekend are dealing with two separate pressures at once: a holiday surge in passenger counts and weather-related disruptions that can ripple across the network. The FAA dashboard updates throughout the day as conditions change. ### What should travelers watch through the rest of the holiday? Monday, May 25, is the last day of AAA’s Memorial Day travel window, while TSA’s higher-volume period runs through Wednesday, May 27. (nasstatus.faa.gov) Travelers looking for same-day airport conditions can monitor the FAA’s National Airspace System dashboard, and TSA said passengers should arrive prepared with acceptable identification, including REAL ID-compliant documents where required. (newsroom.aaa.com)