Despite shaky consumer confidence, Memorial Day weekend travel is expected to spike this year, along with gas prices in California. 
The Automobile Club of Southern California expects a record 3.6 million people to travel between Thursday, May 22 and Monday, May 26.
If the auto club is right, it will be a 3.6% increase from 2024 and the third straight year of record-breaking travel for this holiday locally.
The auto club revealed the top local destinations for Southern Californians will be Las Vegas, San Diego, the Central Coast and nearby national parks such as the Grand Canyon.
The American Automobile Association said the top five U.S. destinations are Orlando, Seattle, New York, Las Vegas and Miami. 
Internationally, the top destinations for U.S. travelers are Rome, Vancouver, Pairs, London and Athens.
Valencia Ortega told the Daily Press that Memorial Day has traditionally been “a summer vacation warmup” for her family.
“It’s usually a chance to slow down and get away before school is out for the summer,” said Ortega, who lives in Victorville. “Our family usually goes to Disneyland or the beach, depending on our budget and schedule.”
Relying on INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, the auto club expects the afternoons and evenings of Thursday, May 22, and Friday, May 23 to be the busiest times to travel. 
In Southern California, the busiest stretch of freeway is expected to be Interstate 5 north from Los Angeles to Bakersfield starting the afternoon of Friday, May 23, when the travel time will increase by 83%.
Interstate 15 will also be busy from near Rancho Cucamonga north through the Victor Valley and toward Las Vegas.
INRIX projections indicate the best times to travel by car are on Thursday before noon, Friday before 11 a.m., Saturday before noon, Sunday before 1 p.m. and Monday before 2 p.m.
The surge in U.S. road travelers during Memorial Day weekend is attributed to lower gas prices, according to the American Automobile Association.
Gas prices have decreased from a national average of $3.59 per gallon last year to $3.14 this spring due to reduced crude oil prices, the auto association stated.
On Sunday, May 18, gas prices averaged $4.85 per gallon in California, $4.62 in San Bernardino County, $4.61 in Riverside County, $4.77 in Los Angeles County and $4.68 in Orange County.
Gasoline prices in the Golden State could rise above $8 per gallon by the end of 2026, according to a report by Michael A. Mische of the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business.
The rise in fuel prices is expected due to the shuttering of a Phillips 66 oil refinery in Los Angeles and a Valero refinery in Benicia in Northern California.
Overall prices in California are expected to soar past $6 per gallon by the end of 2025 after the Phillips 66 refinery closure in October, the study projected.
Prices are then expected to rise to more than $8 by the end of 2026 after the Valero refinery closes shop in Solano County.
Valero announced in April 2025 that it would shutter its refinery in April 2026, citing high costs and California environmental laws.
In 2024, Phillips 66 announced that it would stop operations at its Los Angeles-area refinery in the fourth quarter of 2025.
“With the long-term sustainability of our Los Angeles Refinery uncertain and affected by market dynamics, we are working with leading land development firms to evaluate the future use of our unique and strategically located properties near the Port of Los Angeles,” said Mark Lashier, chairman and CEO of Phillips 66. “Phillips 66 remains committed to serving California and will continue to take the necessary steps to meet our commercial and customer demands.”
California is looking at a potential 21% reduction in collective refining capacity from 2023 to April 2026, with a gasoline deficit ranging from 6.6 million to 13.1 million gallons per-day, the study said.
“California’s consumption of gasoline, which has declined by 11% since 2001, is not expected to suddenly drop by 20% in the next twelve months to achieve equilibrium with the shortfall of in-state gasoline production,” the report stated.
In response to the study released in early May 2025, California Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones ( R-San Diego) penned a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom urging immediate action to stop the refinery closures.
“If the governor doesn’t act now, Californians will be blindsided by sticker shock at the pump and skyrocketing prices on everyday goods,” said Jones. “We’re talking about gas prices over $8.43 per gallon by the end of next year.”
The report indicated that the oil reductions will also affect production, costs and prices across many industries such as air travel, food delivery, agricultural production, manufacturing, electrical power generation, distribution, groceries and health care.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

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