I-95 To See Peak Congestion Over Memorial Day Weekend 2023 In MD: Forecast

MARYLAND — Whether you're heading across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Ocean City or down Interstate 95 as a jumping off point to reach the mountains of Virginia, the Carolinas and other destinations, Memorial Day is predicted to be a busy travel weekend across Maryland.

Nationwide, AAA is predicting 42.3 million people will take trips of 50 miles or more during Memorial Day weekend this year. That's 2.7 million more people expected to travel than last year's Memorial Day weekend.

"This is expected to be the third busiest Memorial Day weekend since 2000, when AAA started tracking holiday travel," said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. "More Americans are planning trips and booking them earlier, despite inflation. This summer travel season could be one for the record books, especially at airports."

The majority of trips will be taken on the road, as AAA expects 37.1 million people will drive, or about 2 million more than last year. That's still about 500,000 below the pre-pandemic travel of 2019.

Airports will also be busy as 3.4 million travelers are expected to travel by plane even as airfares are higher than last year's holiday. With demand high for air travel, AAA says the Memorial Day weekend prediction is 170,000 more people than the pre-pandemic levels of travel in 2019.

Even buses and trains will be busier, as AAA projects 1.85 million people will travel by methods other than cars and planes. That's up over 20 percent from the 1.53 million in 2022.

AAA will release Memorial Day weekend travel predictions for DC, Maryland and Virginia next week.

Busiest Travel Times In DC Region

For those hitting the roads over the holiday weekend, transportation analyst INRIX is predicting when and where traffic will be the worst in the DC region and across the U.S.

Travelers of Interstate 95 in Virginia shouldn't be surprised this road is forecast to have peak congestion. INRIX expects peak congestion to happen around 5 p.m. Monday, May 29 on northbound I-95 and connecting interstates from Williamsburg to Washington, DC. The anticipated travel time between Williamsburg and Washington, DC during that peak time will be four hours and 30 minutes. Typically, the travel time is 2.7 hours.

For travelers departing the DC region in the early weekend, the peak is expected 1 p.m. Friday on eastbound U.S. Route 50 between DC and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The travel time between these destinations will be 3.8 hours at the peak, compared to 2.5 hours normally.

Across the U.S., Friday, May 26, should be the busiest travel day of the holiday weekend. Travelers heading out that day can avoid the worst traffic by driving in the morning or after 6 p.m. As an alternative, Saturday and Sunday are forecast to have lighter traffic.

Here are the best and worst travel times over the Memorial Day weekend nationwide:

• Thursday, May 25: Worst travel time from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., best travel time before 1 p.m.
• Friday, May 26: Worst travel time from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., best travel time before 12 p.m.
• Saturday, May 27: Minimal traffic congestion expected
• Sunday, May 28: Minimal traffic congestion expected
• Monday, May 29: Worst travel time from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., best travel time before 10 a.m
• Tuesday, May 30: Worst travel time from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., best travel time before 2 p.m. or after 6 p.m.

Gas Prices

Memorial Day travelers will find prices at the gas pump well below last year's levels in Maryland and across the U.S.

According to AAA, Maryland's current gas price average is $3.457 as of May 18, compared to $4.582 a year ago.

The national gas price average sits around $3.50 a week before Memorial Day weekend, about a dollar less than last year. The Energy Information Administration said gas prices remained stable since the previous week due even as demand fell and oil prices remain low. AAA expects prices could decline if demand continues to go down.

"Despite mild weather and a less volatile economic forecast, drivers are not hitting the road and raising gasoline demand to traditional seasonal levels," said Andrew Gross, an AAA spokesperson. "It’s possible this is merely the lull before Memorial Day, but it could be a trend that lingers into summer."

AAA members can use the AAA Fuel Finder or use the AAA mobile app to find the lowest prices. Others can search gas prices by ZIP code or town using Gas Buddy.