Memorial Day Travelers Break Records

As Memorial Day approaches America is seeing yet another record-breaking year in regards to over-the-road travel.

This year (2018), our country is expected to see 41.5 million Americans traveling total, which is a solid 5% increase from our numbers in the past 13 years. That 5% increase translates to an additional 2 million people. That 5% increase also translates into some of our busiest cities seeing up to a 3x increase in traffic delays, between regular commuters and holiday travelers.

According to the INRIX, the absolute worst times and places to travel this year are as follows:

  1. NYC - Friday 25th, 3:30 pm - 6:30 pm. 2.7x longer than usual.
  2. DC - Thursday 24th, 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm. 2.3x longer than usual.
  3. Chicago - Friday 25th, 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. 2.1x longer than usual.

Following closely behind these three cities in increased travel time is Boston, Seattle, and L.A.

The top destinations traveled to overall this year are predicted to be Orlando, Seattle, Honolulu, Las Vegas, and Anchorage, according to AAA advanced bookings. AAA also states that while gas prices are at a current high for the year ($2.92 average across America), this isn't deterring travelers from hitting the road vs flying this weekend.

Here is the official '2018 Memorial Day Holiday Travel Forecast':

Auto Travel - 36.6 Million People - 4.7% Increase
Air Travel - 3.1 Million People - 6.8% Increase
Train, Bus, Ship Travel - 1.8 Million People - 2.4%  Increase

Here's a quote regarding this year's Memorial Day travel trends from Senior Vice President of AAA Travel.

“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.  - Bill Sutherland, senior vice president, AAA Travel and Publishing

https://newsroom.aaa.com/2018/05/nearly-42-million-americans-will-kick-off-summer-memorial-day-getaway/