More Than 5 Million Californians Expected To Travel Over Memorial Day

CALIFORNIA — More than five million Californians are expected to hit the road over the Memorial Day weekend, according to an estimate by AAA.

The projection is an indication that holiday travel volumes are rebounding back to pre-pandemic levels, with three million more Americans estimated to travel over Memorial Day weekend this year than last year.

“Memorial Day is always a strong predictor of what’s to come for summer travel,” said Rolando Flores, Senior Vice President of Membership and Travel for AAA Northern California. “Based on our projections, travel isn’t just picking up speed, it’s taking off.”

Nationwide, 39.2 million Americans are forecasted to travel over the holiday, up from 36.2 million in 2021 for an 8.3 percent increase.

Both air travel (2.41 million to 3.01 million) and road travel (33.4 million to 34.9 million) are expected to increase.

Thursday is projected to be the busiest day for air travel during the weekend travel period, with Monday being the lightest. For road trips, Thursday and Friday are expected to be the busiest days for drivers.

AAA advised travelers to book trips early for summer travel, and keep track of a travel checklist when packing. Over half of travelers forget to pack something when they travel, according to a recent AAA survey.