AAA is projecting more than 1 million New Jersey residents will travel 50 miles or more over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, up 2.6% compared with last year. The Memorial Day holiday travel period is defined as the five-day period from Thursday, May 22 to Monday, May 26 and is considered the unofficial start to summer.
“Economic uncertainties and concerns over rising prices are on the minds of travelers,” says Tracy Noble, spokesperson for AAA Club Alliance. “However, despite those concerns, many New Jersey residents are expected to take advantage of the long holiday weekend to spend time with loved ones, even if the trips are closer to home.”
Memorial Day road trips in New Jersey are up 2.7% over last year. About 966,000 New Jerseyans will drive to their destinations representing 91% of those traveling for the holiday weekend. Gas prices are about 50 cents less than a year ago at an average of $2.997 for regular and about 20 cents below the national average of $3.179. The cheapest gasoline in the state is in the southeastern counties of New Jersey and Sussex County in the northwestern part of the state.
More than 73,000 New Jersey travelers are expected to fly to their destinations for the holiday, an increase of .03% compared with last year and accounts for 6.9% of those traveling. This Memorial Day weekend, air ticket prices are comparable to last year. AAA booking data (based on what travelers paid when booking Memorial Day weekend flights) shows domestic flights are 2% more expensive compared with last year, with the average round-trip ticket costing $850. Most of those flights are to popular destinations like Chicago, New York, Orlando, Denver, and Seattle.
The biggest increase in 2025 Memorial Day holiday travelers comes from those using other modes of transportation, like cruises, buses and trains. These travelers are expected to total over 22,400 in New Jersey, an increase of 6.9%.
