Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and Americans will kick off the season by traveling in near-record numbers. According to AAA, more than 41.5 million Americans will travel this Memorial Day weekend, nearly 5 percent more than last year and the most in more than a dozen years (2005).
Even as gas prices rise like outside temperatures, AAA still expects an additional 2 million people will take to planes, trains, automobiles and other modes of transportation. INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, expects travel delays on major roads could be 2-3 times longer than normal, with the busiest days being Thursday and Friday (May 24-25), as commuters mix with holiday travelers.
"Higher gas prices will not be enough to keep travelers home this Memorial Day weekend," said Vicky Evans, Assistant Vice President, Travel Sales Development, AAA - The Auto Club Group. "A strong economy and growing consumer confidence are giving Americans all the motivation they need to kick off what we expect to be a busy summer travel season with a Memorial Day getaway."
View the full Economic and Holiday Travel Reports from AAA and IHS
By The Numbers: 2018 Memorial Day holiday travel forecast
?Total Travelers: More than 41.5 million Americans will travel on Memorial Day Weekend, 5 percent more than last year.
- ?2018 will mark the fourth consecutive year of overall travel volume growth.
Travel volume has increased by 6 million since 2014 and 11 million since the 2009 recession-driven low.
- Over 833,000 Tennesseans are expected to travel on Memorial Day Weekend.
- Automobiles: The vast majority of travelers - 36.6 million - will hit the road this Memorial Day, 4.7 percent more than last year.
?Nearly 727,000 Tennesseans will drive to their Memorial Day travel destinations.
- Over 833,000 Tennesseans are expected to travel on Memorial Day Weekend.
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- Planes: 3.1 million people will travel by air, a 6.8 percent increase and the fifth year of consecutive air travel volume increases.
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- Over 75,000 Tennesseans will travel by air.
Trains, Buses, Rails and Cruise Ships: Travel across these sectors will increase by 2.4 percent to 1.8 million passengers.
- Over 75,000 Tennesseans will travel by air.
- 31,000 Tennesseans will travel across these sectors.
?Gas prices for this holiday weekend will be the most expensive in four years.
Drivers Beware: Worst Times to Hit the Road
For the 36.6 million Americans traveling by automobile, INRIX, in collaboration with AAA, predicts drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion on Thursday, May 24 and Friday, May 25 - in the late afternoon as commuters leave work early and mix with holiday travelers. Several major U.S. metros could experience double the travel times compared to a normal trip, while New Yorkers could see three times the delay.
"Ranked the most congested country in world, U.S. drivers are all too familiar with sitting in traffic," said Graham Cookson, Chief Economist and Head of Research, INRIX. "Drivers should expect congestion across a greater number of days than in previous years, with the getaway period starting on Wednesday, May 23. Our advice to drivers is to avoid peak commute times in major cities altogether - traveling late morning or early afternoon - or plan alternative routes."