Summer’s unofficial kickoff is here and Americans are wasting no time getting out of town. From crowded airports to congested highways, Memorial Day travel is heating up, thanks in part to a dip in gas prices.
A record 45.1 million people are expected to travel between Thursday May 22 and Monday May 26, breaking the 2005 holiday weekend record of 44 million travelers, according to AAA.
Of those travelers, more than 38 million are expected to hit the road, marking the highest number of Memorial Day drivers AAA has ever recorded.
Fueling this travel frenzy is good news at the pump: A gallon of regular gasoline was $3.17 as of May 19, down 11% compared to the same time last year, according to AAA.
Airports are also bracing for the holiday rush. More than 3.5 million people are expected to fly this weekend, a 2% increase from last year, according to AAA.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it’s preparing for one of its busiest weekends of the year with travel expected to peak on Thursday and nearly 54,000 flights scheduled nationwide. As of May 7, 2025, a REAL ID or a passport is required for domestic flights.
Kaliah Miley, a junior at SUNY Cortland, was at LaGuardia Airport Thursday, traveling to North Carolina. She said preparation is key for a busy travel weekend.
“Don’t wait until the last minute to pack. Come at least two hours [early] so you have enough time to travel and enough time to check in and go to TSA,” Miley said.
Wanda Fraser and her husband, Alex, who were on their way also to North Carolina from LaGuardia Airport on Thursday, said they looked forward to hosting Memorial Day festivities.
Wanda offered some travel advice: “Do all your check-ins and all your everything that you need to do online, on your phone, whatever you can do to make it smoother yourself. Because the airlines are sometimes short, we get frustrated, but everybody has to get where they’re going, so let’s make it safe and, you know, fast for everybody.”
This weekend, severe thunderstorms and nor’easter winds are expected to soak most of the country.
Weather conditions have contributed to thousands of flight delays Thursday, including a ground stop at LaGuardia Airport that slowed down flights.
Experts recommend planning your trip ahead, taking public transit when possible and prepare to stay flexible.
“Everybody just be safe and be blessed,” Alex Fraser said.
“Be kind to each other,” Wanda Fraser added.