Memorial Day 2022: Best, Worst Times To Hit The Road In Wisconsin

WISCONSIN — Despite the steep prices many are seeing at the pump — around $4.33 a gallon on average in Wisconsin as of Wednesday — plenty will be hitting the road and bustin' out of their homes for Memorial Day weekend 2022.

With travel on American roadways expected to reach 93 percent of what it was before the pandemic, according to the AAA Memorial Day Travel Forecast, we're resurrecting the iconic Memorial Day road trip.

About 35 million people are expected to hit the road, meaning you'll be competing with millions of cars and trucks for space on the highway over the long weekend, according to AAA. The long holiday weekend kicks off Thursday and ends on Monday, the official Memorial Day. The weekend will also bring many Americans an extra day off.

Altogether, around 39.2 million people will take an excursion during the holiday weekend, so making sure your trip goes smoothly is important. Everyone may have their preferred travel schedule, but in general, the worst and best times to get out of town are:

Thursday

• Worst times: 1-8 p.m.
• Best times: before 6 a.m. or after 9 p.m.

Friday

• Worst times: noon to 7 p.m.
• Best times: before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m.

Saturday

• Worst times: 1-6 p.m.
• Best times: before 10 a.m.

Sunday

• Worst times: 1-4 p.m.
• Best times: before 10 a.m.

Monday

• Worst times: 1-4 p.m.
• Best times: before 11 a.m.

Although travel is bouncing back, Americans’ wanderlust has been curbed to some extent by the highest inflation in four decades — especially for gas, food, lodging and airfare. While travel is expected to increase 8.3 percent over 2021, that’s only 93 percent of the travel volume in 2019, AAA said.

Also this Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA:

• The overwhelming majority of Americans — 35 million people — will travel on the nation’s highways, as is traditionally the case.

• Memorial Day air travel will be the highest since 2011, with about 3 million people — or about 7.7 percent of holiday travelers — expected to get on airplanes. That’s a 25 percent increase over 2021, when many since-lifted COVID-19 restrictions were in place.

• The number of people who plan to travel by bus or train, or take a cruise, is expected to triple this year to 1.3 million people.