Hitting the road for Memorial Day weekend? You will be joined by millions.
AAA has predicted that a record-breaking 2.6 million Floridians are expected to be traveling from Thursday, May 22, through Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, and most of them (2.3 million) will be driving.
Across the country, more than 45.1 million people are expected to drive, fly and otherwise travel more than 50 miles from home, breaking the record of 44 million set in 2005.
An estimated 3.61 million Floridians will be crowding the airports, up from 3.55 million in 2024, and AAA forecasts about another 2.08 million Sunshine State residents will take alternate transportation such as buses, trains and cruises, up from 1.92 million last year.
Here’s what to know before you load the family in the car.
What are the best times to travel by car for Memorial Day weekend?
If you’re driving, try to get the family packed and on the road early. On Thursday, May 22, and Saturday, May 24, travelers should leave before noon. On Friday, May 23, the optimal time to start driving is before 11 a.m.
When it’s time to head home, plan to leave before 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 25, and before 2 p.m. on Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day).
What are the worst times to travel by car for Memorial Day weekend?
Traffic is expected to start congestion in the afternoons, according to transportation data and insights company INRIX, especially around metro areas. The worst time to drive will be between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Thursday, and from noon until 8 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, heavy congestion is expected from 2 p.m. through 6 p.m.
On the drive home, expect the most traffic to be from 1 p.m. through 5 p.m. on Sunday and from 4 p.m. through 7 p.m. on the holiday itself, AAA said.
What’s the best time to pick up my rental car for Memorial Day?
For those renting cars, Friday, May 23, will be the busiest day for pickup, according to Hertz.
Orlando and Miami, named by AAA as two of the most popular domestic Memorial Day Weekend destinations — Orlando was No. 1 in the country — are also listed as two of the cities with the highest demand for rental cars.
Will gas prices go up for Memorial Day weekend?
We won’t know till it happens. Holiday demand, supply factors and local availability can all affect fuel prices.
Currently, gas prices in Florida are an average of $3.18 per gallon as of May 20, according to AAA data, which is down from last year’s average of $3.59. But prices crept a bit higher than last week’s average of $3.12.
Peak congestion times in major US cities
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Denver
Los Angeles
New York
Philadelphia
San Francisco
Washington, D.C.
Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Driving for Memorial Day weekend? Here are the best, worst traffic times in Florida
Reporting by C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
