Florida has 3 of top 10 Memorial Day destinations. Here’s where America is going

Lianna Norman, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
·3 min read

More than 43 million people will be traveling for Memorial Day this year and Florida has three of the top 10 domestic destinations that tourists will be flocking to for the three-day holiday weekend, according to a recent survey from the American Automobile Association (AAA).

This is a 4% jump from the number of people who traveled during the holiday weekend in 2023 and is the first time Memorial Day weekend traveler numbers will be near 44 million since 2005, AAA reports.

“We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” Senior Vice President of AAA Travel Paula Twidale said in the survey.

“We’re projecting an additional one million travelers this holiday weekend compared to 2019, which not only means we’re exceeding pre-pandemic levels but also signals a very busy summer travel season ahead.”

Here’s which Florida cities are on AAA’s list of the top 10 domestic destinations this Memorial Day weekend and where they rank.

Is Memorial Day a busy travel day?

Yes, Memorial Day weekend is a huge weekend for travel in the U.S. and Memorial Day itself is typically when people return home from their weekend trips.

This year, AAA predicts a record-breaking number of road trips.

“AAA projects 38.4 million people will travel by car over Memorial Day weekend, the highest number for that holiday since AAA began tracking in 2000. The number of drivers this year is up 4% compared to last year and 1.9% higher than in 2019,” the survey said.

“This Memorial Day weekend drivers can expect similar gas prices as last year when the national average was roughly $3.57. Pump prices rose this spring but have held somewhat steady in recent weeks. Prices may creep higher as the summer driving season gets underway.”

Memorial Day road trip ahead? Here are the best and worst times to go in Florida, the Southeast

What are the busiest travel days around Memorial Day?

According to the AAA survey, these are the busiest times for traveling on Memorial Day weekend:

  • Thursday, May 23, 12:00 – 6: 00 p.m.

  • Friday, May 24, 12:00 – 7:00 p.m.

  • Saturday, May 25, 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.

  • Sunday, May 26, 3:00 – 7:00 p.m.

  • Monday, May 27, 3:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Here are the best times for traveling on Memorial Day weekend:

  • Thursday, May 23, before 11 a.m., after 7 p.m.

  • Friday, May 24, before 11 a.m., after 8 p.m.

  • Saturday, May 25, before 1 p.m., after 6 p.m.

  • Sunday, May 26, before 1 p.m.

  • Monday, May 27, after 7 p.m.

Where do most people go for Memorial Day?

This year, the most traveled-to destination for Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. is predicted to be Orlando, which beat New York City, Los Angeles and Las Vegas for first place.

Fort Lauderdale and Miami also made the top 10 list, in eighth and ninth places respectively.

Here’s the full list of the top 10 domestic destinations for travelers this Memorial Day, according to AAA:

  1. Orlando, Florida

  2. Seattle, Washington

  3. New York, New York

  4. Las Vegas, Nevada

  5. Anaheim/Los Angeles, California

  6. Denver, Colorado

  7. Anchorage, Alaska

  8. Fort Lauderdale, Florida

  9. Miami, Florida

  10. Boston, Massachusetts

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida Memorial Day travel destinations top LA, New York, or Vegas