AAA projects more Delawareans will travel for the Memorial Day weekend this year - but it’s a modest increase.
More than 125,000 Delawareans are expected to travel for this holiday weekend to mark the unofficial start of summer. That’s 3.2% more than a year ago.
And AAA’s Jana Tidwell says - as usual- a large majority will be driving.
"The majority of holiday weekend travelers or in this case, 89% of those traveling 113,000 Delawareans, will be taking a road trip to their holiday weekend destination. Road trips are also up year-over-year," said Tidwell.
Those driving this weekend are also expected to be up 3.2% over last year with another 11,000 expected to fly - a 2.7% increase over last year.
Train, bus and cruises travelers are projected to increase by 7.1% to about 3,100 travelers.
And the good news for drivers is that gas prices are about 50 cents less per gallon now than in 2024 according to AAA.
Cost conscious Delawareans are adjusting their travel plans to stay within a budget, and AAA’s Jana Tidwell says that’s why more are going by car than ever.
"The road trip is typically the most cost-effective way to travel. Which is why we are seeing road trip travel for the holiday at record levels,” said Tidwell. “You can not just save some extra money, but you can control when you leave, when you come home. You can stay with family and friends and eliminate the cost of a hotel stay. Driving your car, of course eliminates rental car fees."
The best times to hit the roads this weekend are before noon Thursday, before 11 am Friday, before noon Saturday and before 1 pm on Sunday. Returning home before 2 pm Monday is also recommended to avoid delays.
AAA says budget concerns are likely the reason this year is the lowest year-over-year growth rate for the Memorial Day holiday since 2016. That excludes the COVID year of 2020.
