Traveling on Memorial Day? Chicagoans, fasten your seat belts and prepare for busy roads and airports.
This year's Memorial Day travel is expected to be the busiest since 2010, with more than 53,000 flights across the United States on Thursday and 50,000 on Friday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
At O'Hare International Airport, more than 1.38 million passengers are expected to use the airport through Tuesday, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation. At Midway Airport, airlines are predicting more than 294,000 passengers during the same period.
The CDA said it expects Friday to be the busiest travel day at both Chicago airports, and the FAA said it expects Thursday to be the busiest day nationwide.
“This summer travel season is expected to be the busiest in recent years, and O'Hare and Midway airports are ready to welcome travelers from around the world to Chicago,” CDA Commissioner Jamie L. Lee said in a statement.
The TSA expects to screen more than 18 million travelers and air crew members in the seven-day period starting Thursday, an increase of 6.4% from last year.
“We're on track to break that record this summer,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said.
American Airlines Chief Operating Officer David Seymour said the airline is beefing up its staffing and technology in preparation for the busy seasonal season.
“It's a long summer, but we're preparing for it. We have the right resources,” he said.
Chicago-based United Airlines is heading into its biggest Memorial Day weekend and expects passenger numbers to be up nearly 10% from last year. Delta Air Lines is expected to see a 5% increase in passenger numbers this weekend as it begins its busiest summer schedule in international history.
As of 5:30 a.m. Thursday, there were just three cancellations at O'Hare and two at Midway, according to tracking site FlyChicago. The average delay at both airports was less than 15 minutes, the site said.
According to AAA, more than 38.4 million people across the country will be planning road trips, with about 2 million of those trips planned through Illinois.
AAA said this is the “highest number of expeditions” on Memorial Day the agency has ever seen.
“We haven't seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in nearly two decades,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president at AAA Travel, said in the release. “We expect an additional 1 million travelers this weekend compared to 2019, which not only means we're exceeding pre-pandemic levels, but it also signals the beginning of a very busy summer travel season.”
Traffic data and insights website INRIX noted that drivers leaving on Thursday or Friday should plan to hit the roads early “to avoid mixing with commuters.”
“Travelers returning home on Sunday or Monday should avoid the afternoon hours when repatriation flights are at their peak,” INRIX added.
Overall, travel times are expected to be up to 90% longer than normal, with Chicago being one of the most congested metropolitan areas, INRIX said.
Travel from Milwaukee to Chicago on Interstate 94E is expected to hit “peak congestion” around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, according to INREX. The trip is expected to take about two hours and 25 minutes, about 27 percent longer than usual, INREX said.
The best and worst times to take a road trip on Memorial Day
According to INRIX, here are the best and worst times to travel by car during the holidays.
| Thursday, May 23rd | 12:00 to 6:00 pm | Before 11am, after 7pm |
| Friday, May 24th | 12:00 to 7:00 pm | Before 11am, after 8pm |
| Saturday, May 25th | 2pm – 5pm | Before 1pm, after 6pm |
| Sunday, May 26th | 3pm – 7pm | Before 1 p.m. |
| Monday, May 27th | 3pm – 7pm | After 7pm |
