More than 2 million Illinois residents to travel Memorial Day weekend

Illinois residents are expected to hit the road in record numbers this Memorial Day weekend in the "unofficial kickoff to summer."

The American Automobile Association projects nearly 2.1 million Illinois residents will be traveling at least 50 miles this weekend, with a record number of about 1.9 million traveling by car. Overall, that’s an increase of about 70,000 Illinois travelers from last year’s Memorial Day weekend.

While the number of travelers has increased, it's still shy of the record set in 2005, when 2.2 million Illinoisans traveled during the long holiday weekend.

“Memorial Day is the unofficial kickoff to summer, so this is a popular time for people to get on the road,” said Molly Hart, spokesperson for AAA’s The Auto Club Group.

Across the country, AAA said this weekend is expected to be the second-busiest Memorial Day weekend on record, with nearly 44 million Americans expected to travel at least 50 miles.

“Today, we're past the pandemic. People are comfortable traveling and want to travel,” Hart said.

Over the weekend, O'Hare Airport is expected to be the fourth-busiest airport in the U.S. with over 800,000 passengers scheduled to depart, according to Lindsay Schwimer, a spokesperson for travel booking app Hopper. The airport will be busiest between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Hopper suggested travelers “take the first flight of the day,” since flights departing after 9 a.m. are twice as likely to be delayed as those scheduled between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m, according to a press release.

According to AAA, popular domestic destinations include Orlando, Seattle and New York, while international ones include Rome, Vancouver and London.

Since airports will be busy, Hart recommends that people arrive at the airport two or three hours in advance.

“We don’t want anyone rushing to the gate or missing their flights,” Hart said.

The Chicago Department of Aviation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Illinois gas prices are expected to average about $3.90 per gallon, compared to last year’s $3.95 per gallon, AAA said.

In Illinois, the busiest road will be Milwaukee to Chicago via I-94, especially around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to AAA.

Hart encourages travelers to beat commuter rush hour and leave before 11 a.m. on Thursday and Friday.

Travelers should get their cars checked before they hit the road to make sure things like batteries, tires and windshield wipers are in optimal shape, she added.

“We are anticipating that we will rescue nearly 378,000 motorists nationally,” Hart said. “The last thing we want to see is someone stranded on the side of the road.”

Kristen Lonergan, 41, from Lincoln Square said she and her husband plan to drive to the Indianapolis 500 auto race over the weekend.

They make the roughly six-hour round trip annually and have their routine down.

“Every year, we drive there and camp out there,” Lonergan said. “I took Friday off, so I'm going to try to leave here around like 10 a.m.”

While the couple is traveling, Lonergan’s dogs will stay at home — but still enjoying a “mini vacation” of their own, she said.

“They go to a local [dog boutique called] Canine Social Club. They love it there,” Lonergan said.