AAA: 950,000 Tennesseans to Travel for Memorial Day Weekend

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 11, 2026) – AAA tasks 950,000 Tennesseans will journey at the least 50 miles from house for Memorial Day weekend, setting a brand new document for the vacation. The vacation journey interval consists of 5 days, starting the Thursday earlier than Memorial Day and ending on Monday.

Most Tennessee vacationers will take street journeys, with 795,000 anticipated to drive. Another 114,000 will fly, whereas 40,000 will journey by different modes equivalent to bus, prepare, or cruise.

While journey volumes proceed to climb, the rise from final yr stays restricted. Tennessee journey rose barely yr over yr, reflecting a broader nationwide pattern of record-setting journey numbers paired with slower progress.

Nationally, AAA expects practically 45 million Americans to journey over the Memorial Day vacation, the very best whole on document. However, year-over-year progress stays lower than one p.c.

“Memorial Day travel is still reaching record levels, but with the smallest year-over-year increase in more than a decade,” mentioned Megan Cooper, spokeswoman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Although travel demand remains strong, higher fuel prices and persistent inflation may cause some travelers to shorten trips, delay plans, or stay closer to home.”

Tennessee Memorial Day Travelers
	Total	Auto	Air	Other
2026	950,350 (+0.2%) Record High	795,145 (-0.5%)	114,992 (+3.6%)	40,213 (+3.9%)
2025	948,672 (+2.6%)	799,003 (+2.0%)	110,951 (+4.8%)	38,717 (+9.2%)
2024	924,980 (+3.7%)	783,595 (+3.3%)	105,917 (+6.7%)	35,468 (+5.6%)

 

National Memorial Day Traveler Totals
	Total	Auto	Air	Other
2026	44.95 million (+0.4%)	39.07 million (+0.1%)	3.654 million (+0.3%)	2.223 million (+5.2%)
2025	44.79 million (+2.5%)	39.03 million (+2.0%)	3.645 million (+2.8%)	2.113 million (+10.2%)
2024	43.7 million (+4.0%)	38.25 million (+3.7%)	3.55 million (+5.8%)	1.918 million (+6.5%)

 

Memorial Day Travelers by Mode of Transportation

By Car:

Nationally, driving stays the most well-liked solution to journey this Memorial Day weekend. AAA tasks 39.1 million individuals will journey by automobile, a slight leap over final yr.

A vacation street journey will value extra on the fuel pump this yr. The Tennessee common value for gasoline is $4.16 per gallon as of Sunday. Last yr, the nationwide common value was $2.75 per gallon on Memorial Day. Drivers can use the AAA mobile app to seek out the bottom value of their space. Visit GasPrices.AAA.com to view each day state and native value averages.

With heavier site visitors anticipated, AAA urges drivers to Slow Down, Move Over for disabled automobiles and roadside responders. During final yr’s Memorial Day weekend, AAA responded to greater than 350,000 emergency roadside help calls nationwide to assist stranded drivers with points like useless batteries, flat tires, and empty gas tanks. AAA encourages drivers to verify their tires, battery, and fluid ranges earlier than hitting the street.

For vacationers renting automobiles over Memorial Day weekend, AAA automobile rental companion Hertz says Thursday and Friday are anticipated to be the busiest pick-up days. The high 5 markets with the very best demand are Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver, and Boston. According to AAA reserving knowledge, home automobile leases are 1% cheaper this vacation weekend in comparison with final yr. AAA member advantages on rental automobiles could make the vacation extra inexpensive and safer with free baby security seat rental at AAA.com/Hertz.

By Air:

Air vacationers make up 8% of the share of vacationers this vacation weekend. AAA tasks 3.66 million vacationers will fly domestically over the vacation weekend, a small improve over final yr. According to AAA reserving knowledge, vacationers who booked flights upfront paid about six p.c lower than final yr, with a mean ticket costing $800. However, newer airfare developments could mirror rising gas prices.

“Travel costs remain a mixed picture this year,” mentioned Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA The Auto Club Group. “Travelers who booked early may have secured lower airfares, but rising fuel costs are putting upward pressure on prices. Working with a travel agent can help travelers find the best value, tap into options they may not see on their own, and make the most of their overall travel budget.”

By Other Modes:

Travel by bus, prepare, and cruise will improve by greater than 5% to 2.2 million vacationers. The progress displays expanded cruise capability and continued demand for Alaska itineraries.

AAA’s Top Memorial Day Weekend Destinations

Memorial Day weekend vacationers are taking journeys to theme parks and well-known landmarks, boarding cruises within the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, and flying to Europe to go to iconic capital cities. Here are the highest 10 home and worldwide locations, based mostly on AAA reserving knowledge.

RANKING	DOMESTIC	INTERNATIONAL
1	ORLANDO, FL	ROME, ITALY
2	SEATTLE, WA	VANCOUVER, CANADA
3	NEW YORK, NY	PARIS, FRANCE
4	LAS VEGAS, NV	LONDON, ENGLAND
5	MIAMI, FL	ATHENS, GREECE
6	SAN FRANCISCO, CA	DUBLIN, IRELAND
7	ANCHORAGE, AK	BARCELONA, SPAIN
8	CHICAGO, IL	SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND
9	DENVER, CO	AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
10	BOSTON, MA	EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

 

Best/Worst Times to Drive and Peak Congestion by Metro

INRIX, a supplier of transportation knowledge and insights, says Memorial Day weekend drivers ought to count on the heaviest congestion on Thursday and Friday between 3pm and 6pm and Monday afternoon. Sunday needs to be the lightest day for site visitors, barring any sudden occasions on the street.

According to INRIX, as congestion strikes out of metro areas throughout vacation durations and onto highways, the chance of crashes will increase as many drivers navigate unfamiliar routes outdoors of their regular commuting patterns. This stresses the significance of getting a great night time’s relaxation earlier than a street journey, planning your route forward of time and driving undistracted and sober.

Please notice the instances listed under are for the time zone through which the metro is situated. For instance, Atlanta routes = ET and Los Angeles routes = PT.

Best and Worst Times to Travel by Car
Date	Worst Time	Best Time
Thursday, May 21	12:00 PM – 9:00 PM	After 9:00 PM
Friday, May 22	11:00 AM – 8:00 PM	Before 11:00 AM
Saturday, May 23	12:00 PM – 5:00 PM	Before 11:00 AM
Sunday, May 24	Minimal Traffic Impact Expected
Monday, May 25	12:00 PM – 5:00 PM	Before 10:00 AM

SOURCE: INRIX

Holiday Travel Forecast Methodology

In cooperation with AAA, S&P Global Market Intelligence (SPGMI) developed a singular methodology to forecast precise home journey volumes. The financial variables used to forecast journey for the present vacation are leveraged from SPGMI’s proprietary databases. These knowledge embody macroeconomic drivers equivalent to employment, output, family internet value, asset costs together with inventory indices, rates of interest, housing market indicators, and variables associated to journey and tourism, together with gasoline costs, airline journey, and lodge stays. AAA and SPGMI have quantified vacation journey volumes going again to 2000.

Historical journey quantity estimates come from MMGY’s TRAVEL PERFORMANCE/MonitorSM. The PERFORMANCE/MonitorSM is a complete examine measuring the journey habits of U.S. residents. MMGY contacts over 50,000 U.S. households every month to acquire detailed journey knowledge, ensuing within the distinctive means to estimate customer quantity and spending, determine developments, and forecast U.S. journey habits, all after the journeys have been taken. 

The journey forecast is reported in person-trips. AAA and SPGMI forecast the full U.S. vacation journey quantity and anticipated mode of transportation. The journey forecast introduced on this report was finalized the week of April 13, 2026.

Because AAA vacation forecasts give attention to home leisure journey solely, comparisons to TSA passenger screening numbers shouldn’t be made. TSA knowledge consists of all passengers touring on each home and worldwide routes, whether or not touring for work or leisure. Additionally, TSA screens passengers every time they enter secured areas of the airport, due to this fact every one-way journey is counted as a passenger tally. AAA focuses on person-trips, which embody the complete round-trip journey itinerary. As a outcome, direct comparisons of AAA forecast volumes and each day TSA screenings signify various factors.

INRIX Methodology

INRIX blends statistically grounded fashions with real-world street habits to forecast journey situations on essentially the most closely traveled routes throughout the U.S. throughout peak vacation durations. INRIX’s vacation site visitors forecast combines pre-selected high-impact journey routes, wealthy multi-source site visitors knowledge, and a statistically sturdy linear regression mannequin to generate detailed, time-specific journey delay predictions. INRIX’s knowledge sources embody a wide selection of vehicle-based and infrastructure-based inputs. These embody related automobile GPS knowledge, cellular apps and navigation companies, roadside sensors and cameras, and industrial fleet telematics. With expansive protection, excessive temporal decision, and historic context, this forecasting course of gives important insights for vacationers, media, and businesses alike.

Memorial Day Holiday Travel Period

AAA’s Memorial Day vacation journey interval consists of 5 days, starting the Thursday earlier than Memorial Day and ending on Monday.

About S&P Global Market Intelligence

At S&P Global Market Intelligence, we perceive the significance of correct, deep and insightful data. Our group of consultants delivers unmatched insights and main knowledge and expertise options, partnering with clients to broaden their perspective, function with confidence, and make selections with conviction. S&P Global Market Intelligence is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI). S&P Global is the world’s foremost supplier of credit score scores, benchmarks, analytics and workflow options within the world capital, commodity and automotive markets. With each considered one of our choices, we assist lots of the world’s main organizations navigate the financial panorama to allow them to plan for tomorrow, right this moment. For extra data, go to spglobal.com/marketintelligence.

About MMGY

MMGY Global is the world’s main built-in advertising and marketing agency specializing within the journey, hospitality, and life-style industries. With working manufacturers all over the world, the award-winning group maintains a world communications observe in all advertising and marketing channels, serving lots of the world’s premier journey and tourism manufacturers. As an organization devoted to the journey business, MMGY Global strives to create a related, inclusive, and peaceable world by selling journey as a cultural bridge of understanding. For extra data, go to www.mmgyglobal.com.

About INRIX   

Founded in 2004, INRIX pioneered clever mobility options by remodeling huge knowledge from related gadgets and automobiles into mobility insights. This revolutionary method enabled INRIX to turn into one of many main suppliers of information and analytics into how individuals transfer. By empowering cities, companies, and other people with invaluable insights, INRIX helps to make the world smarter, safer, and greener. With companions and options spanning throughout your entire mobility ecosystem, INRIX is uniquely positioned on the intersection of expertise and transportation – whether or not it’s holding street customers secure, bettering site visitors sign timing to scale back delay and greenhouse gasses, optimizing final mile supply, or serving to uncover market insights. Learn extra at INRIX.com.