OHIO — The American Automobile Association expects nearly 39.2 million people — 1.5 million Ohioans — to hit the road for Memorial Day weekend despite record-breaking gas prices.
As of Wednesday, average gas prices in Ohio sit at $4.44 per gallon, slightly below the national average of $4.56, according to AAA.
“Even with a significant increase in gas prices, we expect a large jump in holiday driving compared to the last few years”, said Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst with INRIX, a transportation analysis site.
AAA said the millions will travel 50 or more miles from their homes between May 26 – May 31. The expected 39.2 million people is an increase of 8.3% over 2021 nationally and a 6.9% increase for Ohio, bringing travel volumes closer to pre-pandemic levels.
“Based on our projections, summer travel isn’t just heating up, it will be on fire. People are overdue for a vacation,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel.
Around 1.4 million Ohioans and 34.9 million Americans total plan to travel by car. AAA estimates the roads will be busiest Thursday and Friday afternoons.
Air travel also continues to rebound, with AAA expecting it to increase 25% over last year nationally and 19.5% in Ohio. Air travel will account for a larger share of the overall travel volume this Memorial Day weekend, with 7.7% of American travelers (4.8% of Ohio travelers) flying. Last Memorial Day, air travel accounted for 6.7% of national travel (4.2% of Ohio travel), accordng to AAA.
“Drivers should expect congestion on major roadways around big cities and popular destinations. Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic,” said Pishue.
According to INTRIX, these are the best and worst travel times for Memorial Day weekend:
- Thursday: Worst time, 1-8 p.m. Best time, before 6 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
- Friday: Worst time, noon-7 p.m. Best time, before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
- Saturday: Worst time, 1-6 p.m. Best time, before 10 a.m.
- Sunday: Worst time, 1-4 p.m. Best time, before 10 a.m.
- Memorial Day: Worst time, 1-4 p.m. Best time, before 11 a.m.
The top city and beach destinations for travelers this year include:
- Orlando, Fla.
- Seattle, Wash.
- Miami, Fla.
- Las Vegas, Nev.
- Anaheim, Calif.
- New York, N.Y.
- Denver, Colo.
- Anchorage, Ark.
- Boston, Mass.
- Honolulu, Hawaii
