INRIX: Leave before 10 a.m. May 25

Good Morning America reported that INRIX is advising Memorial Day travelers to head home before 10 a.m. on Monday, May 25, to avoid the worst return traffic. The outlet said the heaviest congestion on the way back is expected from noon to 5 p.m. that day. Yahoo published similar timing guidance, pointing drivers to Thursday and Friday afternoon departures and Monday afternoon returns as the main choke points. (goodmorningamerica.com) AAA said 45 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day holiday period, which runs from Thursday, May 22, through Monday, May 26. (goodmorningamerica.com) INRIX, which provides traffic analytics used in AAA’s holiday forecasts, has tied that volume to specific driving windows that are likely to be most congested. ### Why is the advice centered on Monday morning? Monday, May 25, is the key return day in the guidance cited by Good Morning America. The outlet said INRIX recommends leaving before 10 a.m. if travelers are driving home that day, with the worst traffic expected from noon to 5 p.m. (goodmorningamerica.com) Yahoo’s travel guidance pointed to the same pattern in broader terms, saying Monday afternoon is one of the worst windows of the holiday stretch. Taken together, the advice is simple: the earlier the return trip starts, the better the chance of avoiding the peak backup. (inrix.com) ### Which departure windows are expected to be the most crowded? Thursday and Friday afternoons are the periods that appear most often across the published guidance. Yahoo said the worst driving times are expected to be Thursday and Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., alongside Monday afternoon for return trips. (goodmorningamerica.com) Good Morning America’s report also emphasized earlier departures, and one version of its Memorial Day road guidance said Friday travelers should aim to leave before late morning. (creators.yahoo.com) That fits the pattern in holiday traffic forecasts, which typically show congestion building from midday into the early evening as commuters and holiday travelers overlap. ### How many people are expected to be on the road? AAA said 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home during the Memorial Day holiday period in 2026. (creators.yahoo.com) Of those, 39.4 million are expected to travel by car, according to Good Morning America’s report on the holiday forecast. INRIX’s role in the forecast is to estimate where and when congestion is likely to be worst. The company’s news page lists the May 11 AAA holiday travel forecast and frames the period as one of the busiest Memorial Day getaways on record. ### What should drivers actually do with this guidance? (goodmorningamerica.com) INRIX’s published advice, as cited by Good Morning America and Yahoo, favors earlier departures over afternoon starts. For outbound trips, that means avoiding the late-afternoon windows on Thursday and Friday when possible. For return trips, it means leaving before 10 a.m. on Monday rather than waiting until midday or later. (inrix.com) Yahoo also laid out broader avoid periods for the holiday weekend, with Thursday listed from noon to 9 p.m. and Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in one article. (inrix.com) Those windows are wider than the headline 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. peak, but they point to the same practical takeaway: drivers who can shift to the morning are more likely to miss the heaviest congestion. ### Where can travelers check the latest timing guidance? Good Morning America’s Memorial Day travel report and Yahoo’s holiday driving guide both publish the recommended departure windows for May 22-25. (goodmorningamerica.com) AAA’s 2026 holiday travel forecast, released May 11, provides the broader volume estimate behind those timing recommendations. (creators.yahoo.com)