Denver Among Top 2021 Memorial Day Destinations In Country: AAA

DENVER, CO — Brace yourself, Denver — a lot of guests are expected to arrive over the Memorial Day weekend, according to a new American Automobile Association report.

Travel this Memorial Day will look a lot different than it did a year ago, the association said. Fourteen months into the coronavirus pandemic, people are yearning to travel, especially now that more than 119 million Americans are fully vaccinated against the deadly virus and have more flexibility on wearing masks.

Between May 27-31, more than 37 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home across the U.S. The number represents a massive, 60 percent increase from last year when 23 million people traveled over the holiday, the lowest on record since AAA started recording in 2000.

Most Memorial Day travel will consist of road trips by car, AAA predicts. Auto travel is expected to increase 52 percent compared with 2020, and more than 9 in 10 Memorial Day travelers plan to drive to their destinations.

Top road trip destinations, according to AAA:

• Las Vegas, NV
• Orlando, FL
• Myrtle Beach, SC
• Denver, CO
• Nashville, TN

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Partnering with travel analytics firm INRIX, the auto club predicts that drivers will encounter the longest travel delays during the afternoons of May 27 and May 28.

Delays will be widespread, AAA predicts, but drivers in several major U.S. metros could experience double the travel times compared to a normal trip. Drivers in Atlanta, Houston and New York could see more than three times the delay on the busiest corridors.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its guidance to state that fully vaccinated people can travel domestically at low risk to themselves.

Visit the organization’s COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Map for the latest state and local travel restrictions. You can also use TripTik.AAA.com to plan your road trip and help determine which rest stops, gas stations, restaurants and hotels are open along your route.