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The Absolute Best Times To Hit The Road This Memorial Day Weekend

Author Bob Bronson
Girl in the car

If you’re planning a road trip for Memorial Day weekend, you should know that EVERYONE is planning a road trip for Memorial Day. To avoid the heaviest traffic you should plan ahead and drive during these times that are the least busy.

It’s the unofficial kickoff to summer and for folks that have been “cooped up” all winter and spring. For those of us in the New England states, it has been a long time since we were feeling the warmth of the sun. So, we are more than ready to hit the road and head to our favorite hot spots. That could be the beaches, lakes, rivers and mountains. Or, just trip to see friends and family.

More traffic on Memorial Day Weekend than any other

Triple-A says that this Memorial Day weekend, 43.8 million Americans are expected travel at least 50 miles.  That’s up 4% from last year . . . and it’s close to the all-time record of 44 million, which was set in May of 2005.

3.5 million people are expected to fly, which is up 5% from last year . . . and Triple-A says, “THIS Memorial Day will be the busiest at airports since 2005.”

If you’re DRIVING, they also released the best times to hit the road.  Naturally, the busiest times are when YOU would also like to go.

On Thursday and Friday, the BEST times to travel by car are before 11:00 A.M., while the times to avoid are between Noon and 6:00 P.M.

Traffic should be lighter on Saturday . . . but Sunday and Monday will also be crazy.  Again, the worst times are mid-day, between 3:00 and 7:00 P.M.

The best times are before 1:00 P.M. on Sunday, or after 7:00 P.M. on Monday.

Triple-A says drivers can expect “similar gas prices as last year,” when the national average was roughly $3.57.  Prices were up a little earlier this spring, but have been steady in recent weeks.

Of course you can wake up and the hit the road wicked early like before 4 am and you will surely avoid a lot of traffic, of course you will need a big cup of coffee to get you rolling, but it could be a big time and headache saver.

Bob is a native New Englander, growing up (sorta) in Maine where his love for radio started at a young age. While in high school he hosted radio shows on a local radio station, and he has never looked back. Bob joined the US Navy and served onboard the Sixth Fleet Flagship as a radio and TV host. After serving for 3 years, it was off to Emerson College in Boston. Bob hosted shows in Boston on WMEX, WVBF and WSSH in the 80’s and 90’s before heading to radio stations in Raleigh, NC, Manchester, NH, and New York City. Bob has been married for almost 25 years to Carolyn, a Woburn gal and they have 3 daughters, Nicole, Taylor, and Bridget. Bob and Carolyn are proud first-time grandparents to baby Caroline, who they plan to spoil every chance they get! “I started my career in New England and could not be happier to come back to Boston where I can root for all the Boston sports teams and eat lots of lobster rolls and clam chowder (okay not lots)… It is an honor to host the WROR morning show with LBF and wake up the World’s Greatest City!” Bob writes about recipes and restaurants, pop culture and trending topics.

Boston Is Officially One Of the Worst Cities for Traffic, Its Ranking Will Surprise You

The United States continues to be one of the most congested countries for traffic in the world. Our cities are constantly flooded with commuters and make for horrible traffic conditions on a daily basis. Each year there are several platforms that do surveys about the cities in America with the worst traffic and Boston is consistently in the top 5. This year is no different.

Geolocation technology specialist, TomTom, has just released its annual traffic index for 2023. Their findings came from assessing time, cost and CO2 emission per mile driven. While many will say the top 10 isn’t too surprising, many will also say that it is shocking Los Angeles is NOT #1. Before we get to the top 7, it should be noted that traffic isn’t necessarily always a bad thing. Experts say that heavy traffic means a thriving economy. It shows that people are going out and spending money.

It is also interesting to note that Boston is consistently in the top 10 no matter which platform is doing the rankings. As a matter of fact, last year transportation analytics company INRIX found that Boston had the #4 worst traffic in the ENTIRE WORLD! It was determined that in 2022, traffic cost the average Boston driver $2,270. So did Boston actually improve for 2023? Let’s take a look at the top 7 cities in the country for the worst traffic according to TomTom.

  • #7 Seattle

    Travel time actually increased in Seattle in 2023. I find it interesting that TomTom also lets you know when is the worst time to drive in each city. For Seattle, the worst time to drive is Thursdays between 5-6pm. The average speed you’re driving during Seattle morning rush hour is 21mph.

    Seattle traffic report | TomTom Traffic Index

    Free access to live traffic data and TomTom Traffic Index statistics for Seattle. Check out live and typical traffic in Seattle.

  • #6 Baltimore

    Travel time actually increased in Baltimore last year. It ranks 135 in the entire world for traffic. The day and times to avoid driving in Baltimore are Wednesdays between 5-6pm. The average speed during the morning rush in Baltimore is 19 mph.

  • #5 Chicago

    Travel time decreased in Chicago last year. Chicago’s traffic actually ranks 128 in the entire world. The worst day to travel last year was September 15, it was a Friday. The day/time to avoid driving in Chicago: Thursdays between 5-6pm.

  • #4 Boston

    I highly disagree with Boston’s ranking but according to TomTom, travel time increased in Boston last year. We rank 97 in the entire world for worst traffic. The worst day of travel last year was September 14. It was a Thursday. The worst day/time for traffic in Boston: Thursdays between 5-6pm.

  • #3 San Francisco

    Travel time didn’t change in San Francisco last year. It’s the second city in California to make the top 10 this year. It ranks 71 in the entire world. You’re only traveling 16 mph during rush hour in San Francisco. Avoid driving Wednesdays between 5-6pm.

    San Francisco traffic report | TomTom Traffic Index

    Free access to live traffic data and TomTom Traffic Index statistics for San Francisco. Check out live and typical traffic in San Francisco.

  • #2 Washington D.C.

    Travel time increased in D.C. last year.  It ranks 55 in the entire world for traffic. 205 hours were spent driving last year for the average driver. Much like other cities, the days/time to avoid driving is Wednesdays between 5-6.

  • #1 New York City

    No, Los Angeles is NOT #1. In fact, it’s not even in the top 5. NYC ranks 20 in the entire world for traffic. Travel time increased last year. Avoid driving on Thursdays between 4-5pm.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykuW6jzdjRU

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