An estimated 3.6 million Southern California residents are expected to travel this Memorial Day weekend — the third consecutive year of record-breaking regional travel — with today, Friday May 22, shaping up to be the single worst day to be behind the wheel in the greater Los Angeles area.
A Record Weekend by the Numbers
The Auto Club of Southern California projects that travel volume this weekend represents a 1% increase over last year and an 8.1% jump compared to the pre-pandemic benchmark of 2019. Nationally, AAA forecasts 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home between Thursday and Monday — the highest Memorial Day total on record and the most since 2005. Of those, 39.1 million will travel by car.
Jena Miller, vice president of travel products at the Auto Club, put it plainly: “Consumers continue to prioritize travel with family and friends after the pandemic. This year, they will get some price relief at the gas pump and car rental counter, but they will spend more on domestic flights, hotels, cruises, and tours compared to last year.”
The Worst Routes to Be On Right Now
Transportation analytics firm INRIX pinpoints Friday afternoon between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. as the peak congestion window — and the numbers for Southern California are stark. Interstate 10 eastbound toward Palm Springs and Phoenix is expected to be up to 88% more congested than normal this evening, stretching the typical 90-minute LA-to-Palm Springs drive to 4.4 hours. Those heading all the way to Phoenix face an estimated 8.6-hour journey.
The I-15 corridor to Las Vegas is not much better. Travel time from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on Friday evening is projected at 5.7 hours — a 38% increase over normal conditions. INRIX recommends departing before 11 a.m. on Friday or after 9 p.m. on Thursday to avoid the worst of the gridlock.
Infrastructure Setback Adds to SoCal Woes
Compounding the congestion, a gas pipeline and water main were struck during construction in the Westchester community near LAX earlier this week. Repair crews from SoCalGas worked through the night and restoration was projected to be completed by Thursday morning — but the incident has added localized disruption to an already strained road network heading into the busiest departure day.
Roadside Risks Rising Too
With fuel prices the highest since 2022, NBC Palm Springs reports that AAA has tracked a 10% increase in emergency roadside calls from drivers who ran completely out of gas. Service managers at Mountain View Tire in Palm Desert warned that pushing vehicles to the limit in extreme desert heat risks serious damage to fuel pumps on top of the obvious danger of being stranded.
AAA responded to more than 350,000 roadside assistance calls nationally during last year’s Memorial Day weekend. That figure is expected to be surpassed this year.
