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 from Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25. The forecast, published May 11, is slightly above last year’s level and would set a new Memorial Day weekend record, according to the auto and travel group. The projection covers both road and air travel, with drivers making up the vast majority of travelers. Separate AAA fuel data published May 21 showed motorists were heading into the weekend with the highest Memorial Day gas prices in four years. ### How big is AAA’s forecast this year? AAA’s May 11 forecast put total Memorial Day travel at 45 million people, compared with 44.8 million a year earlier. The group defines the holiday period as the five days from Thursday, May 21, to Monday, May 25, and counts trips of at least 50 miles from home. AAA said that level would mark another record for the holiday weekend. (newsroom.aaa.com) The 2025 comparison matters because AAA had previously forecast 45.1 million travelers for last year’s Memorial Day period. This year’s total is therefore slightly lower than that earlier 2025 forecast but still above the 44.8 million figure AAA used as the year-ago baseline in its 2026 release. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### How many people are expected to drive versus fly? AAA said 39.1 million people are expected to travel by car this Memorial Day weekend. That makes road trips the dominant mode by a wide margin, accounting for nearly seven out of every eight travelers in the forecast. (newsroom.aaa.com) Air travel is projected at 3.66 million passengers, AAA said, and Yahoo and other outlets cited that figure as a 0.3% increase from last year. AAA also said average ticket prices were lower than a year earlier for travelers who booked early, even as fuel costs rose. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### Why is the travel number still high with gas prices up? AAA said on May 21 that the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $4.56, up 3 cents from the prior week and $1.38 above the same time last year. The group described that as the highest Memorial Day weekend gas price in four years. (newsroom.aaa.com) Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in the May 11 release that Memorial Day is the “unofficial start of summer” and a three-day weekend for many Americans. In the same release, AAA said many travelers were still choosing to take trips despite higher pump prices, with some opting for shorter or closer-to-home getaways. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### What else were travelers being told before the weekend? ABC News reported that AAA’s record forecast came despite elevated prices for both gas and airfare. The outlet’s travel guidance highlighted heavy airport lines and crowded roads as the weekend approached. (newsroom.aaa.com) Yahoo’s travel coverage said the same AAA forecast pointed to a busy holiday across highways and airports, with 39.1 million expected to drive and 3.66 million expected to fly. That report also tied the travel surge to the broader start of the summer travel season. (abcnews.com) ### What should readers watch next? Monday, May 25, is the last day in AAA’s Memorial Day holiday window. AAA’s newsroom has continued posting related updates, including fuel-price reports, and those releases are likely to be the clearest source for post-weekend comparisons on travel volume, driving costs and how the forecast matched actual conditions. (newsroom.aaa.com) (travel.yahoo.com)