AAA: Record 1.2 Million Michiganders Expected To Travel This Memorial Day
DEARBORN (WWJ/AP) - Nearly 1.2 million people from Michigan are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, according to AAA.
The auto club says it's the highest Michigan travel volume for the holiday period in nine years, and a 2 percent increase from last year.
More than a million travelers from Michigan will be driving to their destinations, while nearly 60,000 will travel by air. The remaining travelers will go by train, bus or boat.
An estimated 1,175,986 Michiganders will travel 50 miles or more. That's the second-highest travel volume on record for this holiday behind 2007, when there were 1,183,742 travelers.
AAA says relatively low gas prices are encouraging people to travel, which should also help boost summer tourist destinations around the state. Michigan's average price for a gallon of gasoline on Memorial Day 2015 was about $2.72 and about $3.82 the year before. The state's current average gas price is about $2.29.
The Memorial Day holiday travel period is defined as Thursday, May 26 to Monday, May 30.
Popular Destinations
Many Memorial Day travelers will head to warm weather destinations and historic American cities to kick off their summer travels. The top destinations this Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA, are:
1. Orlando
2. Myrtle Beach
3. Washington, D.C.
4. New York
5. Miami
6. San Francisco
7. Boston
8. Honolulu
9. Los Angeles
10. South Padre Island
TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
