Millions of people across the U.S. and Colorado are expected to travel this Memorial Day weekend, with forecasts expected to break a 20-year holiday record.

Travel organization AAA estimates 45.1 million people will travel at least 50 miles from their homes between Thursday and Monday — about 1.4 million more domestic travelers compared to 2024. These projections set a new  record for the Memorial Day holiday; the previous record was set in 2005 with 44 million travelers, AAA said in a news release this month.

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Though he could not provide projections specific to Colorado, Skyler McKinley, a regional AAA spokesman for Colorado, North Dakota and Minnesota, said weekend travel among Coloradans is expected to be on par with national projections.

“Generally, (Colorado) track(s) with the national average. As travel increases nationally, you can expect to see that in Colorado as well,” McKinley said.

And since Colorado is “on the doorstep of nature,” offering no shortage of scenic byways, public parks, open spaces and other attractions to enjoy, plenty of people will be traveling by, through or to Colorado this holiday weekend, he added.

Americans are taking the long weekend to spend time with loved ones, despite economic worries among U.S. travel industry experts in recent weeks — though travelers may take trips closer to home this year, AAA said the release.

Tourism and travel industry giants Expedia Group, Airbnb and Hilton recently noted in quarterly earnings reports they are experiencing slowing business among international and domestic travelers; most major U.S. airlines have cited ebbs in the numbers of economy passengers taking leisure trips; and Bank of America recently reported credit card spending on flights and lodging continued to fall in April, The Associated Press reported.

“Americans see travel as a right, not a privilege, and they see Memorial Day as the kickoff to the summer travel season,” McKinley said. “Kids are out of school and with the rise of remote work in recent years, despite rises in some costs, that doesn’t change our propensity to travel. In a down economy or when we’re experiencing higher prices, you might travel to Disneyworld or Europe if you can afford it, or you might decide to travel closer to home.”

On the road

More than 39.4 million people are projected to travel by car over Memorial Day weekend, over 1 million more vehicle travelers than in 2024, according to AAA data. Most people opt to drive during holiday travel periods, with 87% of Memorial Day travelers taking road trips, the organization said.

People can also take advantage of lower gas prices this year. The average price of a gallon of mid-grade gas in Colorado was $3.56 on Tuesday afternoon, slightly lower than the national average of $3.66 per gallon. Over the 2024 Memorial Day weekend, the Colorado average was $3.72 per gallon. 

“Once gas gets over the $3.50 per gallon mark, people will start to change their travel patterns,” McKinley said. For example, travelers are more likely to spend an extra night at their destination or add other stops to their trips when gas is cheaper. “To the extent that travel is an economic conversation, being around $3.50 for a gallon of gas is actually a good travel indicator. This is a really healthy showing for Memorial Day gas prices — it’s good that it’s lower than last year, but it isn’t so low that it’s indicative of a recession.”

The busiest times for road travel in Colorado are expected to be Thursday evening, all day Friday and again Monday afternoon and evening. People should expect increased traffic on Interstate 70, especially at both sides of the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel about 60 miles west of Denver.

“Remember, you can’t be mad at traffic; you are traffic. Memorial Day is a big part of the American driving tradition, so leave early in the day when you can, avoid traveling when others are traveling, and be aware of Colorado work trends,” McKinley said.

With more cars on the road, Colorado State Patrol is reminding travelers of the increased risk for crashes. Troopers in southwest Colorado alone responded to 29 fatal crashes and 43 injury crashes in the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day last year, the agency said in a recent news release.

Across Colorado, troopers arrested 63 drivers for driving under the influence on Memorial Day 2024, a 117% increase over the 29 DUI arrests they made in 2023, according to a separate agency news release on Tuesday.

“Please do your part this coming holiday to plan ahead for a sober ride. No one wants to spend their holiday weekend in a hospital or a jail cell,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, CHP chief.

By air

AAA expects 3.6 million passengers will travel by air this weekend, almost 2% more than last year’s total of 3.5 million air travelers and surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 12%.

AAA booking data show domestic flights are 2% more expensive this Memorial Day compared to 2024; the average roundtrip ticket costs $850. Popular flight destinations include Denver, Chicago, New York, Orlando and Seattle, AAA said.

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Airport officials in Colorado Springs and Denver said they expect to see the usual number of air travelers this holiday weekend.

Colorado Springs Airport projects about 15,500 people will board planes at the municipal airport between Friday and Monday, about the same as over Memorial Day weekend in 2024, spokeswoman Aidan Ryan said. 

“We did not see much of a spike in passengers in 2024 for Memorial Day weekend. While airlines are offering significantly more seats out of (Colorado Springs Airport) this year versus last, economic conditions and travel restrictions have resulted in a softer-than-normal travel market in 2025,” she said.

The percentage of seats on an aircraft filled with passengers, called a load factor, lags in 2025 compared to load factors in 2024, Ryan added.

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Officials at Denver International Airport said they expect almost 443,000 passengers will travel through airport security between Thursday and May 27, about the same number of travelers during this time frame last year.

The busiest days of travel at DIA will be Friday and Monday, when more than 80,000 passengers could pass through security each day, they said in a Tuesday news release. Passengers should arrive at DIA at least two hours before their boarding time; Memorial Day weekend brings the potential for longer security lines.

Weather

There is a chance for showers and thunderstorms across southern Colorado and Metro Denver beginning Saturday, according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo and in Denver-Boulder.

“Right now it looks like your typical afternoon and evening rain showers,” said Mark Wankowski, a meteorologist with NWS-Pueblo. “It doesn’t look like there will be a washout for the weekend, but it could briefly affect any outdoor plans.”