If you planned a trip for Memorial Day weekend, you’re a part of the nearly 873,000 Marylanders expected to travel for the holiday, the American Automobile Association predicts.

So plan accordingly.

About 17,000 more Marylanders are traveling for the holiday weekend this year than last year, most of them by car, according to AAA.

The slight increase, though it still trails pre-pandemic levels, comes amid what AAA notes as “Maryland Milestones,” such as the Deep Creek Lake’s centennial, Ocean City’s 150 Years of Smiles and Maryland’s Historic Byways’ 25th anniversary.

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“Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start to summer and for many Marylanders that will equate to a long weekend away from work and school — perhaps at the shore, bay, lake, or mountains, or at one of Maryland’s many tourist attractions,” Ragina Cooper Ali, the manager of public and government affairs for AAA in Maryland and Washington, D.C., said in a news release.

Nationwide, AAA projects a record-breaking 45 million people across the country will travel at least 50 miles from their homes between Thursday and Monday for Memorial Day weekend. About 87% of those people are expected to travel by car.

Best times to hit the road

Over 88% of Maryland travelers this holiday weekend will hit the highways, with more than 770,000 people driving, AAA reports.

The Maryland Transportation Authority also predicts over 34,000 vehicles will travel along the Bay Bridge between Friday and Monday.

This comes as both the southeast section of the I-695 Beltway at MD 173 (Exit 1) on the outer loop and MD 151/North Point Boulevard (Exit 42) on the inner loop are closed.

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MDTA shared suggestions for traveling on the Bay Bridge during Memorial Day weekend.

Best eastbound travel times

  • Thursday: Before 10 a.m. and after 10 p.m.
  • Friday: Before 8 a.m. and after 10 p.m.
  • Saturday: Before 7 a.m. and after 4 p.m.
  • Sunday: Before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
  • Monday, Memorial Day: Before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
  • Tuesday: Before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m.

Best westbound travel times

  • Thursday: Before 11 a.m. and after 7 p.m.
  • Friday: Before 8 a.m. and after 8 p.m.
  • Saturday: Before 11 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
  • Sunday: Before 11 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
  • Monday, Memorial Day: Before 9 a.m. and after 10 p.m.
  • Tuesday: Before 6 a.m. and After 6 p.m.

For those traveling along U.S. 50, peak congestion is expected Thursday at 3:45 p.m., from Washington, D.C., to Annapolis, with over an hour of travel time, according to AAA.

Just over 73,000 Marylanders are expected to fly during the holiday weekend, a slight decrease from last year as domestic airline ticket prices rose 2%, according to AAA. If you are traveling by air, make sure you have a Real ID.

Memorial Day weekend air travel is trending differently across the nation than in Maryland. AAA expects this year to surpass pre-pandemic levels by 12%, with some 3.6 million people projected to hit the skies.

AAA also projects nearly 30,000 Marylanders will take a bus, train, cruise or other modes of travel this weekend. Locally, the MARC train and commuter bus won’t be operating on Memorial Day, according to the Maryland Transit Administration, but the MTA bus, metro subway and light rail will run on a Sunday/holiday schedule.