We’re a little less than two weeks away from Memorial Day weekend, and if you’re looking forward to getting away thanks to the extra day out of the office, know that you will not be alone. According to AAA, 41.5-million people will travel this Memorial Day weekend, which is a 5%, increase in travelers, or about two million more people than last year and the highest amount in almost a dozen years.
And with all those travelers there's bound to come traffic, with 36.6-million Americans driving to their destination, an increase of 4.7% from 2017. Those getting in their cars better pack their patience because AAA and INRIX predict congestion will be at its peak in the late afternoon on Thursday, May 24th and Friday, May 25th.
And if you live in a city it will be particularly bad, with travel times double what it would normally take you, and in New York it could be three times as bad. Drivers will also pay the highest gas prices for Memorial Day weekend since 2014, an average of $2.72
- Of course, the car isn’t the only way people will be escaping to their Memorial Day weekend destination. Another 3.1-million folks will be flying, which is a 6.8% increase over last year, and the fifth straight year air travel has increased. Plus, 1.8-million will take either a cruise, train or bus, which is a 2.4% increase.
- As for where everyone's going, according to AAA bookings, the most popular domestic destination for Memorial Day travel is Orlando, Florida.
Top Ten Memorial Day Travel Destinations
- Orlando, FL
- Seattle, WA
- Honolulu, HI
- Las Vegas, NV
- Anchorage, AK
- Phoenix, AZ
- Anaheim, CA
- Boston, MA
- Denver, CO
- New York, NY
Source: AAA