busy Memorial – Chicago agencies are bracing for a peak Memorial Day travel weekend, with more than 2 million passengers expected to move through O’Hare and Midway from Thursday through Tuesday and about 8.5 million vehicles projected across Illinois toll roads.
For Chicago travelers, the question won’t just be where to go—it’ll be how long it takes to get there. Airports are gearing up for a surge that city officials say will be among the busiest in recent memory, and Illinois toll roads are preparing for heavy, weekend-long volume.
From Thursday through Tuesday. the Chicago Department of Aviation estimates a little more than 2 million passengers combined at O’Hare and Midway airports. That includes about 1.75 million people expected to pass through O’Hare over the weekend, 15% more than last year. At Midway, about 292,000 passengers are projected through the weekend, up 3% from last year.
Friday is expected to be the busiest day at both airports. With that kind of volume, travelers may see longer wait times at airport security checkpoints. The Transportation Security Administration recommends arriving early. and updates for wait times at O’Hare TSA checkpoints are available at flychicago.com.
United Airlines, which has the most flights at O’Hare, anticipates more than 470,000 travelers on its O’Hare flights over the holiday weekend. That’s about 79,000 daily travelers flying to nearly 180 destinations.
“Memorial Day weekend is a very busy and exciting time for travelers and workers at O’Hare and Midway International Airports. ” Chicago Aviation Commissioner Michael McMurray said in a statement. “As we prepare to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday. this year’s holiday weekend is especially meaningful for the CDA. and we look forward to serving passengers all summer long.”.
The travel pressure doesn’t stop at the terminals. On Illinois tollways. about 8.5 million vehicles are projected to travel over the holiday weekend. according to the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Friday should also be the busiest day on the roads, with more than 2 million vehicles expected. That would be up from the roughly 1.7 million vehicles that travel across Illinois tollways on an average day.
Illinois Tollway Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse tied the planning directly to what drivers are going to face—more cars. more risk. more reasons to slow down. “Memorial Day marks the beginning of the busy summer travel season. and our priority is helping customers travel safely and reliably across the tollway system. ” Rouse said. “Whether customers are traveling to spend time with family and friends or heading out for the holiday weekend. we encourage everyone to plan ahead. stay alert behind the wheel so we all arrive safely at our destinations.”.
The weekend’s congestion also comes with a familiar safety concern. An analysis by INRIX. a global data and analytics company. found that car crashes increase over holiday weekends. especially on outbound routes. Chicago is among 10 metro areas showing increases in crashes over holiday weekends, according to the analysis.
Timing could still make a difference for drivers. Sunday should be the least-impacted travel day on the roads. The other less-congested travel times by car are after 9 p.m. Thursday, before 11 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and before 10 a.m. Monday, according to the American Automobile Association.
Across the country. AAA expects about 45 million Americans to travel over Memorial Day weekend. which it said would set a new Memorial Day weekend record. It projects 39.1 million people to travel by car and 3.66 million people to travel by airplane. “Travel demand remains strong. and despite higher fuel prices. many people are prioritizing leisure travel during holiday breaks. ” Stacey Barber. Vice President of AAA Travel. said in a statement.
AAA also projects an increase in travel by other modes of transportation, up 5% over this year’s Memorial Day weekend. About 2.2 million people are expected to travel by bus, train, or cruise, the organization said.
Memorial Day weekend Chicago travel O’Hare Midway TSA security wait times United Airlines Illinois tollways AAA travel projections INRIX crash analysis Chicago Aviation Commissioner Michael McMurray Cassaundra Rouse
8.5 million vehicles?? That’s insane. I’m staying home.
So like… 2 million people and everyone is shocked about security lines every year. Why don’t they just hire more staff? Also flychicago.com sounds made up.
I think the real problem is people keep buying last-minute flights and then act surprised. But 1.75 million at O’Hare sounds like mostly United? If United has the most flights then of course their crowd gonna be biggest. Just sayin.
Memorial Day weekend is always packed, but “among the busiest in recent memory” is kinda a joke when they never fix the roads. If TSA says arrive early that means the same thing as always, except now they want us to feel guilty for being late. Also what does “250th birthday” have to do with traffic? I’m just trying to get to the Midwest without sitting in the tollway for 3 hours.