The Memorial Day holiday weekend is normally a popular traveling time, and this year will be no exception according to Rylie Mansuetti with AAA. “Nationally, over 42 million Americans will be traveling this Memorial Day weekend, and of that, over 37 million will be hitting the highways for their holiday destination,” she says. “Almost 120,000 South Dakotans will be traveling with 105,000 traveling by road or highway.”
The overall number of travelers is up about 8 percent, while the number of those traveling by car is up by over 5 percent. Mansuetti says as we exit the pandemic era, people are getting more comfortable going on road trips, hitting the skies, and going on cruises.
For those who plan to drive to their Memorial Day destination, Mansuetti says gas prices are down from last year. “Right now, gas prices in South Dakota range from $3.35 in Sioux Falls to $3.55 in Rapid City with the state average at $3.44, and that’s twelve cents below the national average. When you look at that compared to last year, it’s around 70 cents less than what gas prices were last year.”
Airports nationwide are reporting a travel surge as the unofficial start of the summer travel season begins.