Memorial Day's best and worst travel times by car for Virginians

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Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer. It has always been a great opportunity for people to take a long road trip. About 38.4 million travelers nationwide plan to take off in their cars, the highest number for the holiday since AAA began tracking Memorial Day travel in 2000.

According to Patch, driving during the Memorial Day weekend to and from Virginia can be stress-free if people travel at the best times and avoid the worst times.

Predictions of travelers

About 43.8 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home between Thursday, May 23, and Monday, May 27, to celebrate Memorial Day in 2024. That's a 4 percent increase from last year, according to AAA's annual Memorial Day travel forecast. Travel this year could approach the record set in 2005, when 44 million people traveled by car during Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Travel Times To Avoid

AAA’s transportation data partner, INRIX, says drivers who are leaving on Thursday and Friday should get on the road early to avoid peak commute time. Travelers returning from their getaways on Sunday and Monday should avoid the peak travel afternoon hours.

Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX, said in a news release:

“Travel times are expected to be 90 percent longer than normal."

Pishue advised travelers to remain up to date on traffic apps, 511 services, and local news stations to avoid sitting in traffic any longer than necessary.

Best and worst times to travel by car

• Thursday, May 23 - Best time: before 11 a.m., after 7 p.m. Worst time: noon to 6 p.m.
• Friday, May 24 - Best time: before 11 a.m., after 8 p.m. Worst time: noon to 7 p.m.
• Saturday, May 25 - Best time: before 1 p.m., after 6 p.m. Worst time: 2 to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, May 26 - Best time: before 1 p.m. Worst time: 3 to 7 p.m.
• Monday, May 27 - Best time: After 7 p.m. Worst time: 3 to 7 p.m.

Current gas prices

Gas prices this year are approximately the same as last year when the national average for regular gasoline was about $3.57 per gallon. On Wednesday, regular gasoline was selling for $3.47 a gallon in most of Virginia, and the average for Northern Virginia was $3.58.