5-23-2025 4:47am

Record Travelers Enjoy

Memorial Day Traffic: MD Expects Near-Record Number Of Travelers

Maryland will have a near-record number of travelers this Memorial Day weekend. Here are the best times to hit the road.

More than 873,000 Marylanders are expected to travel 50 miles or more this Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA Maryland's travel forecast.

This year will see about 17,000 more travelers than last year, an increase of about 2 percent.

Despite the bump in holiday travel volume projections, AAA projects 2025 to have the lowest national year-over-year growth rate in nearly a decade for the Memorial Day holiday.

The number of travelers should rival, but not break, 2019's record of 911,000 Maryland travelers.

The District of Columbia, New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco metros are slated to have the nation's heaviest traffic.

AAA said these are the best times to hit the road:

Thursday, May 22 - Before noon
Friday, May 23 - Before 11 a.m.
Saturday, May 24 - Before noon
Sunday, May 25 - Before 1 p.m.
Monday, May 26 - Before 2 p.m.

These are the worst times to drive, AAA said:

Thursday, May 22 - Between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Friday, May 23 - Between noon and 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 24 - Between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Sunday, May 25 - Between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Monday, May 26 - Between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

These are just the best times in general to drive. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge has its own best and worst times to cross. Those hours are posted here.

“Despite economic concerns, Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start to summer and for many Marylanders that will equate to a long weekend away from work and school – perhaps at the shore, bay, lake, or mountains, or at one of Maryland’s many tourist attractions,” AAA Maryland spokesperson Ragina Cooper Ali said in a news release. “While prices remain high, travelers are carefully planning time away with a keen eye on their budgets and the economy.”

About 88 percent of Maryland travelers will drive this weekend, putting 770,000 residents on the road. That's up by just over 2 percent from last year.

Maryland's average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline was $3.08 as of Thursday, AAA said. Gas prices are about 43 cents lower than this time last year.

“With schools in our region set to wrap up the school year soon, and many families planning summer vacations, there will be greater demand at the pumps and prices will likely follow suit,” Ali said.

Many drivers will head to Ocean City to celebrate the unofficial start to summer.

“Maryland's 18 Scenic Byways offer ready-made travel itineraries filled with history, culture, culinary experiences, vibrant main streets, inspiring art, and picture-perfect views—ideal for a great road trip,” Ruth Toomey, executive director for the Maryland Tourism Coalition, said in the release.

Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller reminded drivers to be safe on the roads. The Maryland State Police, Maryland Transportation Authority Police and law enforcement officers across the region will closely patrol the highways all weekend.

“The Maryland State Police is committed to ensuring those who live and visit our state remain safe on the roadways while getting to their destinations,” Lt. Colonel Daniel Pickett, chief of the Field Operations Bureau, said in the release. “As we head into Memorial Day and the summer months, travelers are encouraged to drive sober, focused and alert, obey the speed limit, and look twice for motorcyclists.”

Roughly 8 percent will fly, as 73,000 look to the skies. That's down by 0.67 percent from last year.

AAA offered these tips for flyers:

Check your flight status before leaving for the airport: Download the airline app and check your flight status before setting out.
Get there early: Airports will be crowded. Arrive at the airport at least two hours early for domestic flights and three hours for international.
Understand expectations: Review TSA guidelines for getting through security and pack accordingly.
REAL ID: If you have not yet obtained your REAL ID and plan to take a domestic flight over the Memorial Day holiday, you will not be able to use your regular state-issued driver’s license. That’s because the new federal security standards require your license to be REAL ID-compliant for domestic flights. TSA has a list of acceptable identifications, including a valid US passport that you may use if you do not have a REAL ID. Please note that this list is subject to change at any time without notice, so TSA highly recommends that you check the list regularly before traveling. To learn more, visit TheExtraMile.com.

The remaining 30,000 will take a bus, train or cruise. This group saw the largest year-over-year increase at nearly 6.5 percent.

“Much of this year’s ‘other’ category growth can be attributed to the popularity of cruising,” Ali said, noting that AAA projects a record 19 million Americans to take a cruise in 2025.

Nationally, 45.1 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home to celebrate Memorial Day in 2025. That's a 3 percent increase from last year, AAA said in its annual Memorial Day travel forecast.