More than 43 million people will travel for Memorial Day this year, with three of the top 10 tourist destinations in the nation over the three-day holiday weekend being in Florida, according to a recent survey by the American Automobile Association (AAA).
That’s a 4% increase from the number of people who traveled over the holiday weekend in 2023, and will see Memorial Day weekend travel numbers reach nearly 44 million for the first time since 2005, AAA reported.
“We haven’t seen such high travel volume over Memorial Day weekend in almost 20 years,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in the survey.
“We are forecasting an increase of 1 million travelers this holiday weekend compared to 2019. Not only is this above pre-pandemic levels, but it also signals a very busy summer travel season ahead.”
Here are the Florida cities that made AAA’s top 10 domestic travel destinations for Memorial Day weekend, and their rankings:
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Is Memorial Day a busy day for travel?
Yes, Memorial Day weekend is a big weekend for travel in the United States, and Memorial Day itself is usually the day when people return home from their weekend trips.
AAA predicts record-breaking numbers of road trips this year.
“AAA predicts that 38.4 million people will travel by car over Memorial Day weekend, the most for this holiday since AAA began tracking the data in 2000. This year’s driver numbers are up 4 percent compared to last year and 1.9 percent higher than in 2019,” the survey states.
“This Memorial Day weekend, drivers can expect gas prices similar to last year’s national average of roughly $3.57. Prices at the pump increased this spring but have remained somewhat stable in recent weeks. Prices may rise as the summer driving season gets underway.”
Have a Memorial Day road trip coming up? Here’s the best and worst time to go to Florida, the Southeast
What are the busiest days for travel around Memorial Day?
According to AAA research, the busiest times to travel over Memorial Day weekend are:
Thursday, May 23rd, 12pm – 6pm Friday, May 24th, 12pm – 7pm Saturday, May 25th, 2pm – 5pm Sunday, May 26th, 3pm – 7pm Monday, May 27th, 3pm – 7pm
Here’s the best time to travel over Memorial Day weekend:
May 23rd (Thursday) Before 11:00 am and after 7:00 pm May 24th (Friday) Before 11:00 am and after 8:00 pm May 25th (Saturday) Before 1:00 pm and after 6:00 pm May 26th (Sunday) Before 1:00 pm May 27th (Monday) After 7:00 pm
Where will most people go on Memorial Day?
This year, Orlando is expected to be the most visited destination in the United States over Memorial Day weekend, beating out New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Fort Lauderdale and Miami also made the top 10 list, coming in at No. 8 and No. 9, respectively.
Here’s the full list of the top 10 destinations in the country for travelers to visit this Memorial Day, according to AAA:
Orlando, FL; Seattle, WA; New York, NY; Las Vegas, NV; Anaheim/Los Angeles, CA; Denver, CO; Anchorage, AK; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Miami, FL; Boston, MA
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