Chicago is expected to have one of its busiest-ever Memorial Day travel weekends, with airports and highways bracing for more travelers than last year.
The Chicago Department of Aviation estimates a little more than 2 million passengers combined at O’Hare and Midway airports from Thursday through Tuesday.
That includes about 1.75 million people expected to pass through O’Hare over the weekend,15% more than last year. At Midway, about 292,000 passengers are projected through the weekend, up 3% from last year, according to the aviation department.
Friday is expected to be the busiest day at both airports, the aviation department said.
Travelers may experience longer wait times at airport security checkpoints, according to the Transportation Security Administration, which recommends arriving early at airports. Updates for wait times at O’Hare TSA checkpoints are available at flychicago.com.
United Airlines, with the most flights at O’Hare, anticipates more than 470,000 travelers on its O’Hare flights over the holiday weekend. That’s about 79,000 daily travelers flying to nearly 180 destinations.
“Memorial Day weekend is a very busy and exciting time for travelers and workers at O’Hare and Midway International Airports,” Chicago Aviation Commissioner Michael McMurray said in a statement. “As we prepare to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, this year’s holiday weekend is especially meaningful for the CDA, and we look forward to serving passengers all summer long.”
On Illinois tollways, about 8.5 million vehicles are projected to travel over the holiday weekend, according to the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.
Friday should be the busiest day on the roads as well, with more than 2 million vehicles expected. That’s up from the roughly 1.7 million vehicles that travel across Illinois tollways on an average day, according to Illinois Tollway officials.
“Memorial Day marks the beginning of the busy summer travel season, and our priority is helping customers travel safely and reliably across the tollway system,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse. “Whether customers are traveling to spend time with family and friends or heading out for the holiday weekend, we encourage everyone to plan ahead, stay alert behind the wheel so we all arrive safely at our destinations.”
An analysis by INRIX, a global data and analytics company, revealed that car crashes increase over holiday weekends, especially on outbound routes. Chicago is among 10 metro areas showing increases in crashes over holiday weekends, according to the analysis.
Sunday should be the least-impacted travel day on the roads. The other less-congested travel times by car are after 9 p.m. Thursday, before 11 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and before 10 a.m. Monday, according to the American Automobile Association.
Across the country, AAA expects about 45 million Americans to travel over Memorial Day weekend. It would set a new Memorial Day weekend record, with 39.1 million people projected to travel by car and 3.66 million people traveling by airplane.
“Travel demand remains strong, and despite higher fuel prices, many people are prioritizing leisure travel during holiday breaks,” Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel, said in a statement.
Travel by other modes of transportation is also projected to increase by 5% over this year’s Memorial Day weekend. About 2.2 million are expected to travel by bus, train, or cruise, according to AAA.