44 million to travel for Memorial Day weekend, AAA predicts

Beth Rousseau
·1 min read

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The upcoming Memorial Day weekend is expected to be one of the busiest in recent history.

AAA is predicting a 4% increase from last year and a 1 million traveler increase from before the pandemic.

Leaders with the company say nearly 44 million people will take a trip of 50 miles or more during the holiday period.

Of those traveling, they expect a record 38 million to drivers on the road. More than 3.5 million are taking to the skies to reach their destinations.

Travelers should leave as early as possible and avoid peak congestion times.

AAA says families should expect drives to take 90% longer. They estimate the drive from Gainesville to Tampa, a trip that typically takes approximately 2 hours, will take nearly 4 hours.

Some of the weekend’s top destinations are in Florida, according to AAA. Orlando is the top destination in the country. Fort Lauderdale and Miami are also in the top 10.

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