GOOCHLAND COUNTY, Va. — Stephanie Sheler and April Story stopped at the Goochland I-64 rest stop to stretch their legs as they drove from North Carolina to Callahan, Virginia for a family reunion.
“My cousin has a campout every Memorial Day weekend for the past 39 years,” Sheler said. “We're gonna go down to the camp and have a meal and visit with about 100 some people. A lot of cousins and friends and stuff.”
The mother and daughter join 1.07 million Virginians who are traveling by car for the Memorial Day weekend, according to data from AAA. Nine in 10 Virginians traveling are driving to their destinations versus by air or rail.
That is similar to travel volume seen on Virginia’s roads in 2025 and despite drivers paying $1.36 more for a gallon of unleaded versus last year.
AAA said the national average is $4.50, Virginia prices are at $4.38 and Richmond’s gas average is $4.47 Monday.
“[My mother] was going one way or another, but it is hard on the pocketbook,” Story said.
Alex Hall passed through Central Virginia from Goldsboro, North Carolina on his way to visit his father for the holiday in West Virginia. Gas prices did not factor in Hall’s decision to drive to loved ones.
“I don't get the opportunity to go see him very often,” Hall said. “I’m good with my money. But it’s definitely a little irritating seeing it go from like $2.87 to $4 within like a week when they first jumped up. It's a little irritating to know where it's coming and that you can't really do anything about it.”
Justin and Abby Buchman took a break at the rest stop before resuming their trip from Portsmouth to a funeral in Kentucky.
“We filled up before we went. We took the car that gets more gas mileage, so hopefully you can pretty much do one tank on the there, one tank back. But you definitely experience a little bit of shock every time you go to the tank and about how much it costs,” Justin said.
The previous weekend, the couple paid $4.70 for a gallon of gas in Ohio as they traveled to see Abby’s brother graduate.
AAA said the best time to drive on Virginia’s roads on Memorial Day is before 10 a.m. Between noon and 5 p.m. is considered the worst time.
“Just be safe and watch out for each other,” Sheler said.
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