{"id":706,"date":"2026-05-22T08:03:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T08:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=706"},"modified":"2026-05-22T08:03:01","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T08:03:01","slug":"memorial-day-travel-to-include-traffic-surge-in-colorados-mountains-over-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=706","title":{"rendered":"Memorial Day travel to include traffic surge in Colorado\u2019s mountains over weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"
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With Memorial Day on the horizon, millions of people across the country \u2014\u00a0 and hundreds of thousands in Colorado \u2014 are packing their bags for a weekend getaway.<\/p>\n

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Roughly 437,000 travelers are expected to take off from Denver International Airport between Thursday and Tuesday, according to a news release from the airport. That\u2019s a 2% decrease from the same holiday weekend in 2025, airport officials said.<\/p>\n

The busiest travel days will be Thursday, Friday and Monday, airport officials said in the release. More than 80,000 passengers are expected to pass through the airport\u2019s security checkpoints on each of those days.<\/p>\n

Despite the small dip in anticipated travelers, Denver remains the ninth most popular destination in the U.S. for Memorial Day, behind Orlando, Seattle, New York, Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco, Anchorage and Chicago, according to data from AAA.<\/p>\n

Americans overall are expected to travel at record numbers, with 45 million taking trips of at least 50 miles from home, including more than 39 million by car and nearly 3.7 million by plane, AAA reported. Those estimates are both slightly higher than 2025 and, together, are a 5% jump from 2019 levels, the report stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite all the headwind you think would weigh against it, Americans are traveling,\u201d AAA spokesperson Skyler McKinley said.<\/p>\n

While AAA doesn\u2019t break down state-level travel data, Colorado Department of Transportation officials said in-state traffic over the holiday weekend could \u201ceasily surpass\u201d historical averages, especially in the mountains. Drivers headed to the mountains on Interstate 70 are advised to travel before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on both Friday and Monday.<\/p>\n

Last year, traffic peaked at the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel at 4 p.m. Friday, with more than 2,000 cars pushing through the tunnel each hour; noon Saturday, with roughly 2,000 cars an hour; and 1 p.m. Monday, with more than 2,500 cars per hour, according to state transportation officials. On average, 151,000 vehicles travel into Colorado\u2019s mountains for the holiday weekend.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMemorial Day is historically quiet in between winter and summer tourism seasons, but a low 2026 snowpack means more access in Colorado\u2019s high country,\u201d CDOT Director of Maintenance and Operations Shawn Smith said in a statement. \u201cWe anticipate this increased accessibility will entice a much higher volume of motorists into the mountains than we typically see.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the Front Range, drivers can expect to see the heaviest traffic on northbound Interstate 25 between Denver and Fort Collins at around 5 p.m. Monday, with the drive taking up to 1 hour and 47 minutes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt won\u2019t be bonkers out there, but it will be busy,\u201d McKinley said.<\/p>\n

Rod Mead, CDOT\u2019s traffic operations manager, said Memorial Day usually sits in the middle of \u201cmud season,\u201d where the snow from winter has partially melted, but popular areas haven\u2019t quite dried out.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis year, it\u2019s a little bit different because we haven\u2019t had a lot of snow, we haven\u2019t had a lot of moisture,\u201d he said. \u201cSo we think that there\u2019ll be a few more people than normal headed up the corridor. \u2026 Take your time, and pack your patience.\u201d<\/p>\n

To account for the increased traffic, the department plans to suspend all statewide construction and maintenance projects between Friday afternoon and Tuesday morning, according to the release.<\/p>\n

The worst congestion is expected on Floyd Hill, where the highway goes from three lanes to two, and approaching the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel.<\/p>\n

\u201cMemorial Day travel is still reaching record levels, but with the smallest year-over-year increase in more than a decade,\u201d AAA spokesperson Tiffany Wright stated in the report. \u201cAlthough travel demand remains strong, higher fuel prices and persistent inflation may cause some travelers to shorten trips, delay plans, or stay closer to home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colorado generally follows the national pattern for when traffic is the heaviest on holiday weekends, McKinley said.<\/p>\n

AAA\u2019s national data shows the worst times to drive \u2014 because of heavy congestion anticipated on roadways \u2014 will fall between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Other heavy traffic periods will include:<\/p>\n