3.6 million Southern Californians set to travel for Memorial Day

About 3.6 million Southern California residents are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home this Memorial Day weekend, with 2.9 million of them choosing to drive despite elevated fuel prices, according to the Auto Club of Southern California.

The travel volume is 1% higher than last year and 8.1% above pre-pandemic 2019 levels — a surge with direct implications for Orange County residents who depend on the eastbound 10 and 15 freeways to reach popular getaways including Palm Springs, Phoenix and Las Vegas.

Of the 3.6 million travelers, 388,000 plan to fly and 279,000 will use buses, trains or cruise ships, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Nationally, about 45 million Americans are expected to travel for the holiday, with 39.1 million making the trip by car.

Drivers heading east face some of the worst delays the region will see this weekend. The eastbound 10 Freeway toward Palm Springs and Phoenix is projected to carry 88% more traffic than normal on Friday, according to ABC7 Los Angeles, citing data from transportation analytics firm INRIX. The drive from Los Angeles to Palm Springs could stretch to roughly 4.4 hours on Friday afternoon, while the trip to Phoenix is forecast at about 8.6 hours.

Las Vegas-bound travelers on the 15 Freeway face a similarly punishing journey. The drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on Friday evening is expected to run about 5.7 hours — 38% longer than on a typical day, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Traffic is expected to peak between 3 and 6 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Monday. Those who can flex their schedules should consider departing after 9 p.m. Thursday, before 11 a.m. Friday or Saturday, or before 10 a.m. Monday, according to the Auto Club.

"Southern Californians continue to make travel a priority as we head into the unofficial start of summer," Kandace Redd of the Auto Club of Southern California said in a statement. "Even with higher fuel prices, travel demand remains strong, so drivers should plan ahead, expect busy roads and make safety their top priority."

Traffic forecast data was compiled by the Auto Club of Southern California using projections from INRIX. The Memorial Day weekend, running Thursday through Monday, marks the unofficial start of the Southern California summer driving season.