CALIFORNIA, USA — According to AAA, this is slated to be one of the busiest Memorial Day weekends for travel in nearly two decades. More than 43.8 million Americans are expected to travel this holiday weekend.
TSA projects Friday, May 24 will be the busiest day to fly during Memorial Day weekend with nearly three million passengers expected. Between Thursday, May 23 and Wednesday, May 29 TSA expects to screen more than 18 million passengers and crew combined. TSA says that's an increase of about 6.4% compared to that same time in 2023.
Nationwide, most people are opting to drive to their destination, so be sure to check tires, fluids, and battery life before driving to prevent a breakdown.
You most definitely won't be alone if you’re planning on driving this weekend. John Treanor, spokesperson for AAA, says almost 4 million Californians are expected to join you on the roadway.
"AAA has not predicted this many Americans traveling since 2005. We're going to see record numbers in California, 5.6 million. So we're up from 5.3 million last year and again, most of them will be doing the drive, about 80% will do it behind the wheel of their car," said Treanor.
According to AAA, about 11% will fly and 7% may travel via cruise, bus, or train within the state.
Treanor says returning on Monday will be a busy traffic day. Among the traffic hotspots are Southern California and I-80 eastbound in the Bay Area. Expect heavy traffic between San Francisco and Vacaville.
Treanor says leaving before 11 a.m. on Friday will be less busy, and the heaviest traffic will be between noon and 7 p.m.
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