May 18, 2026 - Travel
What to know about Miami's Memorial Day travel outlook
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Expect busy roads and crowded beaches this Memorial Day weekend, with Miami among the hottest U.S. destinations.
Why it matters: AAA predicts this will be the busiest Memorial Day ever for travel, and many of those travelers are heading for South Florida.
By the numbers: AAA anticipates that more than 45 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more over Memorial Day weekend.
- The bulk of them — more than 39 million travelers — will be driving.
Zoom in: Miami is AAA's No. 5 domestic travel destination for the holiday, based on booking data. Orlando ranks No. 1.
- While still high, gas prices have dipped over the past week, with regular unleaded averaging $4.27 a gallon in Miami as of Monday.
What we're watching: Aggressive Monday-morning drivers.
- AAA and Cambridge Mobile Telematics clocked a 29% spike in Memorial Day speeding compared to other Mondays, peaking 7am–9am.