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AAA: 2.9M Southland Residents Will Travel This Memorial Day Weekend

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — More than two million Southland residents are expected to travel this Memorial Day weekend, officials said Friday.

According to the Automobile Club of Southern California, nearly 2.9 million people will travel from Southern California, totaling the largest number in more than a decade. Thirty-eight million people are anticipated to travel nationwide.

Statewide, the number of travelers is expected to reach around 4.67 million people.

Officials said 2.45 million will travel by car, 264,000 by plane and 176,000 by vehicle, bus or train.

Gas prices are expected to be around 10 cents lower than last year's holiday weekend.

CBS2/KCAL9 Reporter Amy Johnson reported from a packed LAX where many passengers opted for pre-check in to avoid long lines.

According to the Auto Club, a record of 849,000 travelers are expected to pass through Los Angeles International Airport this weekend, marking today and Monday as the busiest days.

The top Memorial Day destinations for Southern California travelers are Grand Canyon National Park, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Yosemite National Park.

Los Angeles has been ranked sixth on the list of destinations for travelers across the country.

CBS2/KCAL9 Reporter Adrianna Weingold was along the I-15 where travelers were trying to make it Las Vegas.

She reported a steady stream of very heavy traffic throughout the day.

"It's bumper to bumper, I had to pull off the highway to get a bite to eat because I knew I would be sitting in it for a bit." said Ricky Gutierrez of Victorville.

At the campgrounds in Yucaipa, Angela and David Salce planned ahead. They got out of town Thursday evening for their 20th annual family camping trip -- their motto "The worst day camping is better than the best day working."

(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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