Iowa & Illinois Can Avoid The Worst Memorial Day Weekend Traffic

It's expected to be a record-breaking travel weekend in the U.S.

It seems everyone is still trying to catch up on vacations after the 'vid in 2020. Memorial Day weekend is always a popular travel weekend since a lot of us are off work on Monday.

But for 2025, AAA is expecting record-breaking road travel for the long weekend. About 45.1 million Americans are expected to domestically travel, which is up 1.4 million from last year.

39.4 million of that estimate will be road-bound.

Canva

Worst Times To Travel

According to AAA, here are the worst times to drive for Memorial Day weekend. Have at it if you have to, but make sure you have gas in case you get stuck in congestion.

Thursday, May 22- 1:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Friday, May 23- 12:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 24- 2:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 25- 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day)- 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Best Times To Hit The Road

So now we know when not to stuff the family in the car to head out for the long weekend. But when should you hit the road?

Of course, it's challenging to figure out the earliest your schedule allows you to leave, with everyone's activities and jobs getting in the way. But here's what AAA suggests:

Thursday, May 22- before 12:00 p.m.
Friday, May 23- before 11:00 a.m.
Saturday, May 24- before 12:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 25- before 1:00 p.m.
Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day)- before 2:00 p.m.

So if you can sneak out of work early on Friday, you're in luck.

If you're heading out to the Chicago area or other big metros, you can see some of the most common congestion spots and wait time for them on AAA's website.