The worst and best times to drive over Memorial Day Weekend in Indiana
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Hoosiers should stay off the road Thursday and Friday afternoon if you want to avoid the worst Memorial Day weekend traffic, according to INRIX forecasts.
Why it matters: AAA predicts this will be the busiest Memorial Day ever for travel — meaning your departure time could make or break your trip.
By the numbers: AAA anticipates that more than 45 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more over Memorial Day weekend. That's the highest total on record and 200,000 more than last year.
- The bulk of them — more than 39 million travelers — will be driving.
Zoom in: In Indiana, 968,000 people are expected to travel, a marginal increase from the more than 966,000 who hit the road in 2025.
- More than 877,000 people will be driving, nearly 52,000 flying and more than 38,000 using other modes of travel, per AAA.
What they're saying: "Even as overall Memorial Day travel hits new highs nationally, air travel is slightly down in Indiana as travelers are weighing costs and may cause Hoosiers to shorten their trip or choose closer-to-home options," AAA spokeswoman Molly Hart said in a statement.
State of play: A holiday road trip will cost more at the gas pump this year, per AAA.
- Indiana's average gas price today is $4.25 per gallon. It was $3.07 a year ago.
- Last year, the national average price was $3.17 per gallon on Memorial Day.
The other side: Travelers who booked flights in advance paid about 6% less than last year, with an average ticket costing $800, according to AAA booking data.
Yes, but: Recent airfare trends may reflect rising fuel costs.
- "Travel costs remain a mixed picture this year," Debbie Haas, vice president of travel for AAA, said in a statement. "Travelers who booked early may have secured lower airfares, but rising fuel costs are putting upward pressure on prices."
Pro tips: Sunday is a good driving day, per INRIX, a transportation data analytics company that works with AAA to calculate travel times.
- If you do have to start your road trip on Thursday or Friday, the best times to begin driving are after 9pm on Thursday or before 11am on Friday.
- Saturday's worst driving window is between noon-5pm, and the best time to drive is before 11am.
- Drivers relying on rental cars should also pick up early this week. Hertz says Thursday and Friday are expected to be the busiest pickup days.
Threat level: Officials are urging motorists to take it slow and move over for disabled vehicles with all those people on the road.
- During last year's Memorial Day weekend, AAA responded to more than 350,000 emergency roadside assistance calls nationwide
What we're watching: Aggressive Monday morning drivers.
- AAA and Cambridge Mobile Telematics clocked a 29% spike in Memorial Day speeding compared with other Mondays, with speeding peaking between 7 and 9am.