While Thursday is expected to be the busiest travel day at airports, a majority of people traveling this weekend are expected to drive.
Thursday, May 21, 2026 10:51AMThe FAA expects more than 54,000 flights Thursday, leading up to the Memorial Day weekend. Even more people will drive, despite high gas prices.
While Thursday is expected to be the busiest travel day at airports, a majority of people traveling this weekend are expected to drive. Nationally, AAA predicts over 39 million people will drive to their weekend destination. For Illinois, there's a slight pullback in road trips as families adjust to higher gas prices because of the war with Iran. AAA says in Illinois, around 2.1 million people are expected to drive, a slight decrease from the 2.11 million last year.
AAA says the regular gas price average for Illinois: $5.01 a gallon, compared to around $3.44 a gallon last year. The cheapest gas in neighboring states, in order of cheapness are Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan. If you're heading out Thursday, the worst traffic is expected between 3 and 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and on Monday afternoon. Copyright © 2026 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.
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