Over 42 Million Americans Expected to Travel this Memorial Day Weekend

by Anthony Losanno
American Flags

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I’ve written multiple posts about bracing for a busy travel summer with airfare at all-time highs, hotels fully occupied, and the challenges that this many travelers will present. Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer and it looks like Americans are kicking it off with a bang.

Airport Line

Over 42.3 million people will travel 50 or more miles from home during Memorial Day weekend. That’s a 7% increase from last year and pacing will put this summer in the top three since 2000 according to AAA. 3.4 million Americans will fly over the weekend. This represents an 11% increase over 2022 and 170,000 more passengers than 2019. This Memorial Day weekend might be the busiest at airports since 2005. 

Traffic

Flyers aren’t the only ones taking a vacation. Road trips are projected to increase 6% over last year. 37.1 million Americans will drive to their destinations (an increase of over two million). Gas prices are lower than last year, which is motivating some people to drive. Major metro areas like Boston, New York, Seattle, and Tampa will likely see time in the car double compared to usual ride times. 

Anthony’s Take: If you’re planning to travel this Memorial Day, pack some patience and be ready with alternative flights or travel plans altogether if things go south. It’s going to be a busy summer.

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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.

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