Memorial Day officially kicks off the summer travel season here in the US, and millions of travelers plan relaxing long weekends around it. But in order to get to a sunny beach or serene national park to unwind, you’ll likely have to contend with stressful crowds and traffic—unless you time your great escape exactly right.
No matter what type of transportation you choose, Memorial Day traffic will be inevitable this year. According to AAA data, nearly 44 million Americans will be traveling over the holiday stretch from Thursday, May 23 to Monday, May 27. That’s the second highest number AAA has seen since it began tracking Memorial Day data in 2000.
“We’re projecting an additional one million travelers this holiday weekend compared to 2019, which not only means we’re exceeding pre-pandemic levels but also signals a very busy summer travel season ahead,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement.
Fortunately, there are a few simple steps travelers can take to avoid the worst of the hubbub, whether on the interstate, at the airport, or a train station. Being smart about when to depart and return can make a huge difference in terms of traffic—and smoothing out other logistics.
Here’s a guide to the best and worst times to travel over Memorial Day Weekend, broken down by mode of transport.
Road trips
According to AAA’s projections, the majority of travelers will be hitting the open road this Memorial Day: More than 87% of travelers—a whopping 38.4 million people—are planning to take a road trip over the weekend. That’s the highest number of Memorial Day drivers AAA has ever seen, meaning planning ahead will be more important than ever.
In general, it’s a good idea to get an early start when driving on Thursday and Friday. On those days, the best car travel times will be before 11 a.m., according to AAA’s report, which used traffic data from Inrix. After 7 p.m. on Thursday or 8 p.m. on Friday will also see lower traffic numbers. The worst times to be on the road on Thursday and Friday will be from about noon to 7 p.m. (all local time).
When returning home on Sunday or Monday, you’ll want to avoid driving between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., as those times are projected to be the most congested on the road. Instead, aim to depart before 1 p.m. on Sunday or after 7 p.m. on Monday when the number of cars on the road will be significantly lower.
AAA and Inrix also mapped out the peak Memorial Day traffic periods throughout the weekend for 16 major cities across the US. If you’re driving to or from a major metropolis, it’s worth checking out the table for the worst traffic time for your destination. For example, if you plan to drive to Tampa, Florida, at 9 a.m. on Sunday (forecasted to be the city’s peak congestion time) on Interstate 75 south, you can expect your journey to be 88% longer than normal. “Travel times are expected to be up to 90% longer than normal,” Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at Inrix, said in the AAA release. “Travelers should stay up to date on traffic apps, 511 services, and local news stations to avoid sitting in traffic longer than necessary.”
