When to travel over Memorial Day weekend in SF
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Traffic backs up the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Memorial Day travel is expected to break records this year nationwide and in the Bay Area.
Why it matters: Roads and airports will likely be packed as locals leave town and visitors arrive to celebrate the unofficial start of summer.
State of play: More than 45 million people nationwide are projected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the holiday weekend, an increase of 1.4 million travelers from last year that's expected to break a 20-year record, per AAA.
- While the vast majority are driving, air travel is also likely to be higher.
Zoom in: Getting on the road early is the best move, per Inrix, which crunches transportation data.
- I-80 eastbound from San Francisco to Napa is expected to be the most congested on Thursday evening around 7pm.
- The best time to travel back to the city on Monday is before 2pm.
The intrigue: Orlando, Seattle, New York, Las Vegas, and Miami are the top U.S. destinations, while those taking international trips are going to Rome, Vancouver, Paris, London and Athens, according to AAA.
- Bay Area residents are headed to Santa Cruz, Russian River, Tahoe, Napa Valley, Big Sur and nearby national parks like Pinnacles or Yosemite.
Pro tip: If you're flying, make sure to have a Real ID.