Near-record Iowa travel numbers forecast for upcoming holiday weekend
May 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson
(Radio Iowa) – With the Memorial Day weekend just ahead, it’s predicted travelers from Iowa will be on the roads in record or near-record numbers. Brian Ortner, with Triple-A Iowa, says the motor club is forecasting more than three-point-six million people across the Midwest will be traveling 50 miles or more during the long weekend, which is up 136-thousand travelers from last year.
The vast majority of vacationers will be traveling by car, and Ortner says gasoline prices in Iowa are more than a dime a gallon cheaper than a year ago.
For families on a budget, vacations can be expensive ventures, with gasoline being one of the biggest costs, so Ortner says this is welcome news.
For Iowans traveling by air, Triple-A says the average price for a round-trip domestic flight will cost 778-dollars, which is up two-percent from Memorial Day weekend last year.