{"id":324497,"date":"2026-05-20T12:03:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T12:03:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/324497\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T12:03:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T12:03:27","slug":"ca-memorial-day-2026-travel-best-and-worst-times-to-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/324497\/","title":{"rendered":"CA Memorial Day 2026 travel: Best and worst times to drive"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re planning a summer getaway for Memorial Day weekend, brace yourself for packed highways.<\/p>\n

In 2026, Memorial Day falls on Monday<\/a>, May 25.<\/p>\n

Millions of travelers<\/a> are expected to head out as the summer travel season begins.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year\u2019s domestic travel forecast is slightly higher than last year and sets a new Memorial Day weekend record<\/a>,\u201d AAA said in a May 11 news release.<\/p>\n

AAA said an estimated 45 million people will travel<\/a> at least 50 miles from home between Thursday, May 21, and Monday, May 25.<\/p>\n

\u201cMemorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and for most Americans, it\u2019s a three-day weekend,\u201d Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in the release. \u201cTravel demand remains<\/a> strong, and despite higher fuel prices, many people are prioritizing leisure travel during holiday breaks.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re planning to travel for Memorial Day weekend, here are the best \u2014 and worst \u2014 times to hit the road in California:<\/p>\n

\"Travelers Travelers wait for their flights in Terminal B at the Sacramento International Airport on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. HANNAH RUHOFF hruhoff@sacbee.com How expensive are gas prices in California?<\/p>\n

According to AAA, approximately 39.1 million people are expected to travel by car during the holiday<\/a> weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cDriving is the most popular way to travel and makes up 87% of the share of Memorial Day travelers,\u201d AAA said.<\/p>\n

Travelers are paying significantly more at the pump this year compared to Memorial Day 2025, when a gallon of regular gasoline cost $3.17 a gallon nationwide on average.<\/p>\n

As of Monday, May 18, the average price for a gallon of regular gas in California<\/a> was about $6.15 \u2014 about $1.63 more than the national average of $4.52<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe national average is at the same range as it was in 2022, the year gas prices hit record highs<\/a>,\u201d AAA said in a May 14 news release.<\/p>\n

In May 2022, California\u2019s average price for regular gas<\/a> climbed to $5.87 per gallon before continuing to rise later that summer to a record high of $6.44, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrivers will be facing the highest Memorial Day gas prices<\/a> in four years,\u201d AAA said.<\/p>\n

According to AAA, the cheapest gas in California<\/a> could be found in Tehama County, where regular gas cost about $5.81 per gallon on average. The highest price was in Mono County, where gas was averaging roughly $7.07 per gallon.<\/p>\n

Drivers can check the AAA website for current fuel prices<\/a> in their area.<\/p>\n

How much are flight tickets for Memorial Day 2026?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile gas prices are higher than last Memorial Day weekend, average ticket prices for flights are lower than last year for those who booked early,\u201d AAA said.<\/p>\n

AAA said about 3.7 million travelers will fly<\/a> domestically over Memorial Day weekend, making air travel about 8% of holiday trips.<\/p>\n

On average, roundtrip tickets to domestic destinations are down about 6% compared to Memorial Day 2025, with average fares around $800.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of those trips were booked before rising jet fuel prices<\/a> started affecting airfare,\u201d AAA said.<\/p>\n

What are the worst days to drive for Memorial Day 2026?<\/p>\n

According to AAA, these are the worst days and times to hit the road in California during Memorial Day weekend:<\/p>\n

Thursday, May 21 \u2014 Noon to 9 p.m.Friday, May 22 \u2014 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.Saturday, May 23 \u2014 Noon to 5 p.m.Sunday, May 24 \u2014 Minimal traffic expectedMonday, May 25 \u2014 Noon to 5 p.m. \"Traffic Traffic crawls on an eastbound ramp to Highway 50 in East Sacramento on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. NATHANIEL LEVINE nlevine@sacbee.com When are the best times to drive for Memorial Day 2026?<\/p>\n

AAA said these are the best days and times to drive for Memorial Day weekend in 2026:<\/p>\n

Thursday, May 21 \u2014 After 9 p.m.Friday, May 22 \u2014 Before 11 a.m.Saturday, May 23 \u2014 Before 11 a.m.Sunday, May 24 \u2014 Minimal traffic expectedMonday, May 25 \u2014 Before 10 a.m. Have a question about life in California?<\/p>\n

How to California \u2014 a guide to help you live, work and enjoy life in the Golden State, is here to help.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll answer your questions \u2014 big and small \u2014 about state laws, history, culture, recreation and travel.<\/p>\n

Ask your questions in the form below (can\u2019t see it? Click here<\/a>) or email howtocalifornia@mcclatchy.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Loading\u2026<\/p>\n

This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 5:00 AM.<\/p>\n

Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Angela Rodriguez<\/a><\/p>\n

The Modesto Bee<\/p>\n

Angela Rodriguez is a service journalism reporter for The Bee. She is a graduate of Sacramento State with a bachelor\u2019s degree in journalism. During her time there, she worked on the State Hornet covering arts and entertainment.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you\u2019re planning a summer getaway for Memorial Day weekend, brace yourself for packed highways. In 2026, Memorial…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":324498,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122],"class_list":["post-324497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=324497"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324497\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/324498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=324497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=324497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=324497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}