39M Americans expected to hit the road this Memorial Day weekend

Millions of Americans, including Ohio drivers, are preparing to travel for the Memorial Day holiday weekend despite significantly higher gas prices. The state average for gasoline in Ohio is currently $4.74 per gallon, which is $1.74 more than this time last year.

Nationwide, AAA expects about 45 million people to travel nationally for the holidays, including about 39 million by road. This domestic travel figure represents a slight increase from last year, remaining almost stable.

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Morgan Dean, a spokesperson for AAA, noted the significant increase in costs for drivers. “More importantly for drivers, it’s $1.74 more than this time last year before the holidays,” Dean said.

Specifically in Ohio, 1.7 million residents are expected to travel for the holidays, a similar number to last year. Although total travel remains stable, air travel for Ohioans is expected to decrease 2% from last year, with 90,000 people choosing to fly.

Dean noted that rising fuel prices are not deterring Ohioans from their travel plans. “They want to take that trip, they want to have that vacation there, they just need to look a little deeper and probably dig a little deeper into their pocket as they put it all together and focus a little more on how they pay for some of these things,” Dean explained.

Drivers planning to leave Thursday or Friday should consider hitting the road late morning or after the evening commute to avoid heavy traffic.

Memorial Day itself is expected to be the busiest return day, and an earlier departure might be the best option for travelers returning home.

Those traveling on Memorial Day are advised to plan their departure and return times strategically to minimize traffic congestion. Avoiding rush hours on Thursday, Friday and Memorial Day could help make travel easier.

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