In just two weeks, Memorial Day kicks off the start of summer travel with a record-breaking number of Americans predicted to go on trips for the holiday weekend.
This year, the holiday will take place between Thursday, May 22 to Monday, May 26. AAA predicts 45.1 million Americans to travel domestically for the popular holiday period – an increase of 1.4 million from last year.
“Memorial Day weekend getaways don’t have to be extravagant and costly,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, in a press release. “While some travelers embark on dream vacations and fly hundreds of miles across the country, many families just pack up the car and drive to the beach or take a road trip to visit friends. Long holiday weekends are ideal for travel because many people have an extra day off work and students are off from school.”
The majority of travelers will be taking a road trip to reach their final destination, with the busiest day for rental car pickups expected to be Friday, May 23, according to Hertz. AAA also predicts a surge of 2% in air passengers for the holiday weekend. In other words, travelers should pack their patience and head out early in anticipation of crowds.
Here’s what to know about travel for Memorial Day weekend 2025.
As usual with holiday weekends, flexibility pays off and the best time to hit the road is in the morning. 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.
For returning home, travelers should leave before 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 25, and before 2 p.m. on Monday, May 26.
Drivers can expect roads to be the most congested during the afternoons, according to transportation data and insights company INRIX. Major metropolitan cities like Boston, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. are expected to experience the heaviest traffic.
The worst time to drive to your destination 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. and 6 p.m.
When driving back home, the most traffic is likely to be from 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday and from 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on the holiday itself.
Atlanta
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Washington, D.C.

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