Memorial Day Weekend in Boston has a lot to offer, from the Flag Garden on the Boston Common, to Boston Calling and the unofficial start of summer on the Cape and islands! A new report from AAA shows that Bostonians won’t be the only ones to enjoy the start of New England summer, but thousands will be flocking to the city this weekend.
The data is based on plenty of different markers such as this weekend’s inbound flights, car rentals, hotel bookings, and traffic patterns. According to AAA, “AAA car rental partner Hertz says Orlando, Denver, Atlanta, Boston and Las Vegas are the cities displaying the highest rental demand, with the busiest pick-up days projected to be Thursday, May 23 and Friday, May 24.”
The top 10 domestic travel destinations this Memorial Day weekend are:
- Orland, FL
- Seattle, WA
- New York, NY
- Las Vegas, NV
- Los Angeles, CA
- Denver, CO
- Anchorage, AK
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Miami, FL
- Boston, MA
Popular international destinations include Paris as well as Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, and London!
If someone you know is headed inbound to Boston, or you’re returning from travels, AAA estimated peak congestion times. Traffic inbound to Boston is estimated to be at its worst from Manchester to Boston via I-93 South on Sunday, May 26, around 8:45 AM. The estimated travel time is 1 hour and 48 minutes, a 50% increase compared to what’s typical of that route.
Best times to travel Memorial Day Weekend
If you’ll be traveling by car this weekend, here are the overall best times to hit the road, according to INRIX.
- Friday, May 24: Before 11AM, After 8 PM
- Saturday, May 25: Before 1 PM, After 6 PM
- Sunday, May 26: Before 1 PM
- Monday, May 27: After 7 PM
These are the worst times to travel for Memorial Day weekend according to INRIX:
- Friday, May 24: 12:00 – 7:00 PM
- Saturday, May 25: 2:00 – 5:00 PM
- Sunday, May 26: 3:00 – 7:00 PM
- Monday, May 27: 3:00 – 7:00 PM
Air travel also soared this year, with an estimated 3.5 million travelers. If you’re Logan-bound, make sure you’re aware of Sumner Tunnel closures that’ll impact your commute.
For those of us spending the weekend in the city, enjoy a traffic free time with these 5 Memorial Day Weekend events in Boston you can’t miss!