MICHIGAN — If you're planning to leave Michigan for the three-day Memorial Day weekend, knowing when to avoid the busiest times on major routes can help you have a stress-free vacation Or your kids will have a vacation they'll never forget. .
Approximately 43.8 million Americans are expected to travel at least 80 miles from home to celebrate Memorial Day in 2024. This is a 4% increase over last year, AAA said in its annual Memorial Day travel forecast. This year's number of travelers could approach the record set in 2005, when 44 million people traveled on Memorial Day.
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Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer, has always been a big holiday for road trips. About 38.4 million people are expected to leave by car, the highest number for the holiday since AAA began tracking Memorial Day travel in 2000.
Airports are also expected to be busier than last year, with about 3.51 million people flying to Memorial Day destinations, 4.8% more than last year and 9% more than in 2019 before the pandemic. There is. Crowding could rival the post-9/11 recovery. According to AAA, 3.64 million people flew in 2005.
“This is the first time in nearly 20 years that we've seen such an increase in Memorial Day weekend travel,” AAA Travel senior vice president Paula Tweedale said in a news release. “We expect an additional 1 million more people to travel this weekend compared to 2019. Not only does this mean we have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, but it also marks the arrival of a very busy summer travel season. It means to.”
The number of people taking road trips this year is expected to be 4% higher than last year and 1.9% higher than before the pandemic in 2019. If you're looking for fun things to do around Michigan, here are some activities that have been going on for years. Favorite Place:
- Fort Michilimackinac Historical Reenactment Page including ParadeMackinac City, May 24-27
- Michigan Maritime Museum, fleet blessing Where Tall Ship Friends Goodwill, South Haven, May 24th
Gasoline prices should be about the same as last year, when the national average for regular gasoline was about $3.57 per gallon. Regular gasoline is selling for $3.61 per gallon in Michigan on Tuesday.
AAA warned that wars in Ukraine and the Middle East could disrupt oil markets, with pump prices always rising as the summer driving season begins.
Travel time to avoid
INRIX, AAA's transportation data partner, says drivers departing on Thursday and Friday should leave early to avoid peak commute times. Travelers returning from vacation on Sunday and Monday should avoid the afternoon hours, which are peak travel times.
“Travel times are expected to be 90% longer than normal,” INRIX transportation analyst Bob Picheux said in a news release. He advised road trippers to stay up to date with transit apps, 511 services and local news stations to avoid spending more time in traffic than necessary.
Here are the best and worst times to travel by car (all local times):
Thursday, May 23rd
- Worst time: Noon to 6 p.m.
- Best time: before 11am, after 7pm
Friday, May 24th
- Worst time: Noon to 7 p.m.
- Best time: before 11am, after 8pm
Saturday, May 25th
- Worst time: 2pm to 5pm
- Best time: before 1pm, after 6pm
Sunday, May 26th
- Worst time: 3pm to 7pm
- Best time: before 1pm
Monday, May 27th
- Worst time: 3pm to 7pm
- Best time: After 7pm
Peak congestion period
The peak congestion times, estimated travel times, and increases in traffic due to holidays for routes in the metropolitan area with high traffic volumes are as follows.
- Atlanta: From Atlanta to Savannah via I–16E. Saturday 4:45 p.m. 5 hours and 14 minutes, 54% longer than usual.
- Boston: Manchester to Boston via I-93S. Sunday 8:45am. 1 hour and 48 minutes, 50% longer than usual.
- Chicago: Milwaukee to Chicago via I-94E. Sunday 4:30 p.m. 2 hours and 25 minutes, 27% longer than usual.
- Denver: Fort Collins to Denver via I-25S. Sunday 4:15 p.m. 1 hour 24 minutes, 56% longer than usual.
- Detroit: Detroit to Kalamazoo via I-94E. Sunday 8:45 p.m. 2 hours and 48 minutes, 40% longer than usual.
- Houston: Galveston to Houston via I-45N. Sunday at 5pm. 1 hour and 11 minutes, 73% longer than usual.
- Los Angeles: LA to Bakersfield via I-5N at 6:15pm Thursday, 2 hours and 45 minutes, 84% longer than usual.
- Minneapolis: Eau Claire, Wisconsin to Minneapolis via Interstate 94W. Monday 8:45am. 1 hour and 45 minutes, 38% longer than usual.
- New York: New York City to Albany via I-87N, 11:45 a.m. Thursday. 2 hours and 37 minutes, 64% longer than usual.
- Philadelphia: Philadelphia to Baltimore/Washington DC via I-95. 7:30 a.m. Friday, 43 percent longer than normal.
- Portland: Hood River to Portland via Interstate 84W. Monday 6:30pm. 1 hour and 20 minutes, 42% longer than usual.
- San Diego: San Diego to Palm Springs via I-5N. Monday 6:30pm. 1 hour and 20 minutes, 34% longer than usual.
- San Francisco: San Francisco to Napa via I-80E. Friday 11am. 3 hours and 4 minutes, 56% longer than usual.
- Seattle: Ellensburg to Seattle via Interstate 90E. Sunday 4:30 p.m. 2 hours 34 minutes, 58% longer than usual.
- Tampa: From Gainesville to Tampa via I-75S. Sunday 9am. 3 hours and 47 minutes, 88% longer than usual.
- Washington, DC: Washington to Baltimore via Baltimore/Washington Parkway N. Friday 2:15 p.m. 1 hour and 25 minutes, 72% longer than usual.
Rebound of other modes of transportation
Most people will drive or fly to their Memorial Day destinations, but about 1.9 million people will take trains, buses or cruises, an increase of 5.6% from last year, according to AAA.
“This category was hit the hardest during the pandemic, with fewer people using public transport or not taking cruises at all,” Tweedale said. “Five years later, we're back to 2019 numbers. Demand for travel is surging, and long holiday weekends are the perfect opportunity to take a vacation.”
