Memorial Day traffic: Best and worst times to travel, cross Maryland's Bay Bridge

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Published  May 20, 2026 9:42 AM EDT
FOX 5 DC

ANNAPOLIS, MD - MAY 28:  Heavy outgoing traffic moves toward the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on the eve of Memorial Day long weekend May 28, 2021 in Annapolis, Maryland. As COVID-19 related restrictions are loosen up across the country, more than 37 millio …

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The Brief

    • AAA is predicting the busiest Memorial Day travel weekend on record, with an estimated 45 million Americans traveling.
    • Expect the most severe gridlock on Thursday afternoon and Friday afternoon as early-bird vacationers collide with the standard daily commute.
    • The worst local hotspot is the Balt-Wash Pkwy North on Thursday at 4:15 p.m.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - If you thought last year's holiday traffic was a bumper-to-bumper nightmare, brace yourself. AAA is predicting that this will be the busiest Memorial Day for travel on record.

Before you fire up the GPS and willingly merge into the Capital Beltway parking lot, here is your definitive guide to the best and worst times to hit the road this long weekend.

Best and worst travel times

What we know:

An estimated 45 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from May 21 to 25 this year, with 39.1 million expected to travel by car.

Experts predict that drivers will experience the greatest congestion during the afternoon on Thursday, May 21, and Friday, May 22, as afternoon rush hour mixes with the mass exodus of weekend vacationers.

Best times to travel by car:

  • Thursday, May 21: After 9 p.m.
  • Friday, May 22: Before 11 a.m.
  • Saturday, May 23: Before 11 a.m.
  • Sunday, May 24: Minimal traffic
  • Monday, May 25: Before 10 a.m.

Worst times to travel by car

  • Thursday, May 21: Noon to 9 p.m.
  • Friday, May 22: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 23: Noon to 5 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 24: Minimal traffic
  • Monday, May 25: Noon to 5 p.m.

DC travel

Dig deeper:

The absolute worst time to escape the D.C. area is Thursday at 4:15 p.m. Travelers heading toward Baltimore on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway North could face a 116% increase in traffic.

The Maryland Transportation Authority says that more than 335,000 vehicles will cross the Bay Bridge between Friday, May 22, and Monday, May 25. Here are the best times to cross during Memorial Day weekend:

Eastbound

  • Thursday, May 21: Before 10 a.m. and after 10 p.m.
  • Friday, May 22: Before 8 a.m. and after 10 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 23: Before 7 a.m. and after 4 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 24: Before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
  • Monday, May 25: Before 11 a.m. and after 4 p.m.
  • Tuesday, May 26: Before 10 a.m. and after 8 p.m.

Westbound

  • Thursday, May 21: Before 11 a.m. and after 6 p.m.
  • Friday, May 22: Before 8 a.m. and after 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 23: Before 11 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 24: Before 11 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
  • Monday, May 25: Before 9 a.m. and after 10 p.m.
  • Tuesday, May 26: Before 6 a.m. and after 6 p.m.

What you can do:

Officials urge drivers to familiarize themselves with the bridge’s lane signals before making the trip across.

RED X means the lane is closed. You MUST NOT enter or travel in any lane over with a RED X signal. Prepare to vacate the lane beneath the YELLOW X signal and move to a lane with a DOWNWARD GREEN ARROW. Motorists can drive in the lane beneath the GREEN ARROW signal.

The Source: Information from this article was provided by AAA and the Maryland Transportation Authority.

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