This Memorial Day, Americans will set a new record, with 45 million expected to travel over the holiday period, according to the auto membership organization AAA.

“Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and for most Americans, it’s a three-day weekend,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. “Travel demand remains strong, and despite higher fuel prices, many people are prioritizing leisure travel during holiday breaks.”

Memorial Day Travelers by Mode of Transportation

By Car: AAA projects 39.1 million people will travel by car over Memorial Day weekend, a slight increase over last year. Driving is the most popular way to travel, accounting for 87% of Memorial Day travelers, AAA said. This holiday weekend, drivers are paying more at the pump than last year, when the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.17 on Memorial Day. Pump prices are the highest they’ve been since the summer of 2022.

Last year, AAA responded to more than 350,000 emergency roadside assistance calls to help stranded drivers with issues like dead batteries, flat tires, and empty fuel tanks over Memorial Day weekend.

For travelers renting cars over Memorial Day weekend, AAA car rental partner Hertz says Thursday and Friday are expected to be the busiest pick-up days. The top 5 markets with the highest demand are Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver, and Boston. According to AAA booking data, domestic car rentals are 1% cheaper this holiday weekend compared to last year.

By Air: AAA projects 3.66 million travelers will take domestic flights over Memorial Day weekend, a slight increase over last year. Air travelers make up 8% of the share of travelers this holiday weekend. According to AAA data, based on what travelers paid when booking their Memorial Day weekend trips, round-trip domestic flights are 6% cheaper compared to last year, with an average ticket costing $800.

By Other Modes: Travel by other modes is expected to go up by 5%, with 2.2 million people traveling by bus, train, or cruise over Memorial Day weekend. Alaska cruise season kicks off this time of year, and the popularity of these cruises is a driving factor in this category’s growth.

Best/Worst Times to Drive and Peak Congestion by Metro

Memorial Day weekend drivers should expect the heaviest congestion on Thursday and Friday between 3 pm and 6 pm, and Monday afternoon, according to INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights. Sunday should be the lightest day for traffic, barring any unexpected events on the road.

As congestion moves out of metro areas during holiday periods and onto highways, the risk of crashes increases as many drivers navigate unfamiliar routes outside of their normal commuting patterns, INRIX added.

Note: Times listed below are for the time zone in which the metro area is located. For example, Atlanta routes = ET and Los Angeles routes = PT.