DELAWARE -AAA predicts nearly 130,000 Delawareans will travel 50 miles or more during the Memorial Day holiday weekend from Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25, marking a slight increase over last year as travelers prepare for the unofficial start of summer.
According to AAA Club Alliance, an estimated 128,254 people from Delaware are expected to travel during the five-day holiday period, up 0.5 percent from 2025.
Road trips remain the most popular form of travel, with more than 113,000 Delawareans expected to drive to their destinations. That represents nearly 90 percent of all holiday travelers from the state and a 0.3 percent increase over last year.
Air travel is projected to decline slightly, with nearly 12,000 Delawareans expected to fly this Memorial Day weekend, down 1.1 percent compared to 2025. Another 3,180 travelers are expected to use trains, buses or cruises, a 4 percent increase from last year.
“Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and for most Americans it’s a three-day weekend,” said Jana Tidwell, manager of public and government affairs for AAA Club Alliance. “However, continued economic uncertainties and concerns over rising prices have led to the smallest year over year travel growth rate we’ve seen in more than a decade, outside of the COVID impacts in 2020.”
Nationally, AAA projects 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home during the holiday period, up 0.4 percent from last year. Of those travelers, 39.1 million are expected to drive, while 3.66 million are expected to fly.
AAA said higher gas prices continue to impact travel costs. The national average price for regular gasoline was $3.17 per gallon during Memorial Day weekend last year, while current prices are the highest they have been since 2022.
Despite rising costs, driving remains the dominant travel option, accounting for 87 percent of Memorial Day travelers nationwide.
AAA is urging drivers to prepare their cars before traveling by checking batteries, tire pressure and fluid levels. During last year’s Memorial Day weekend, AAA responded to more than 350,000 roadside assistance calls involving dead batteries, flat tires and empty fuel tanks.
Air travelers are expected to make up about 8 percent of holiday travelers nationally. AAA noted that while airfare bookings earlier this year were lower than 2025 levels, rising fuel costs tied to the Iran conflict that began in late February have pushed ticket prices and surcharges higher in recent months.
Travel by train, bus and cruise is projected to increase by more than 5 percent nationwide, helped in part by strong demand for Alaska cruises as the summer cruise season begins.
