Memorial Day Travel Rush — A Sign Of What's To Come For Summer

Millions of people are headed back home this Memorial Day after a busy weekend of packed airports and record road trips.

Doug Shupe, a spokesperson for the Auto Club of Southern California, told LAist that he expects 3.5 million people to have traveled 50 miles or more in our region alone.

“Typically, the Memorial Day weekend is indicative of what's to come, and with us breaking record travel volumes for Memorial Day, we are anticipating a very busy summer ahead,” he said.

Tips for getting back into town

Travel times are expected to be up to 90% longer than normal, according to Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX. And the roads are typically jam packed in the afternoon, so the worst travel times will be between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday.

Shupe said the key to avoiding most of the congestion is to leave as early in the day as you possibly can, or much later into the evening.

You should also inspect your tires, battery, and the rest of the vehicle before you hit the highway so you don’t have to make any unexpected pit stops along the way. Shupe said AAA expects to have helped 95,000 stranded drivers across California during the long holiday weekend.

“Nobody wants to break down on the side of the road any day of the year, but particularly after a long weekend, enjoying a great time with friends and family,” he said. “We want everybody to get home on time, but most importantly, safely.”

Looking ahead to the summer season

Summer is looking like it could be an incredibly busy travel season, so Shupe said you should start making plans sooner than later if you’re hoping to get out of town for upcoming holidays like July 4.

High demand and reduced schedules will mean fewer options, he said, and you don’t want to miss out on that perfect place you’ve been saving for.

“During the pandemic, a lot of people canceled trips or postponed plans,” Shupe said. “So many people still haven't gone on their big trips, and that's what we're seeing right now."

More people have been booking their bucket list, once-in-a-lifetime vacations that they weren’t able to do during the pandemic years, he noted. Shupe said they’ve also been seeing more people traveling by themselves, and that’s a trend that is expected to continue throughout the rest of the year.