Memorial Day Weekend 2018: Gas Prices By County, Travel Times

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and Americans will kick off the season by traveling in near-record numbers. According to AAA, more than 41.5 million Americans will travel this Memorial Day weekend, nearly five percent more than last year and the most in more than a dozen years.

With nearly 2 million additional people taking to planes, trains, cars and other modes of transportation, INRIX, a transportation analytics company, expects travel delays on major roads could be more than three times longer than normal, with the busiest days being Thursday and Friday (May 24-25) as commuters mix with holiday travelers.

“The highest gas prices since 2014 won’t keep travelers home this Memorial Day weekend,” said Madisun VanGundy, a spokesperson for AAA Minneapolis, in a statement.

“A strong economy and growing consumer confidence are giving Americans all the motivation they need to kick off what we expect to be a busy summer travel season with a Memorial Day getaway.”

Current average gas prices in the Twin Cities, by county:

• Hennepin County: $2.756
• Ramsey County: $2.750
• Dakota County: $2.744
• Washington County: $2.753
• Anoka County: $2.738

A year ago at this time, gas averaged $2.269 per gallon.

By the numbers: 2018 Memorial Day holiday travel forecast

• Automobiles: The vast majority of travelers – 36.6 million – will hit the road this Memorial Day, 4.7 percent more than last year.
• Planes: 3.1 million people will travel by air, a 6.8 percent increase and the fifth year of consecutive air travel volume increases.
• Trains, Buses, Rails and Cruise Ships: Travel across these sectors will increase by 2.4 percent to 1.8 million passengers.

Drivers Beware: Worst Times to Hit the Road

For the 36.6 million Americans traveling by car, drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion on Thursday, May 24 and Friday, May 25 – in the late afternoon as commuters leave work early and mix with holiday travelers. Several major U.S. metros could experience double the travel times compared to a normal trip, while New Yorkers could see three times the delay.

“Ranked the most congested country in world, U.S. drivers are all too familiar with sitting in traffic,” said Graham Cookson, Chief Economist and Head of Research, INRIX.

“Drivers should expect congestion across a greater number of days than in previous years, with the getaway period starting on Wednesday, May 23. Our advice to drivers is to avoid peak commute times in major cities altogether – traveling late morning or early afternoon – or plan alternative routes.”

Image via Minnesota Department of Transportation