National Road Trip Day

Few feelings beat the one you get when the bags are packed, the snacks are within arm’s reach, and the highway stretches out ahead of you. Road trips have long been a beloved American tradition, a unique blend of adventure, exploration, and freedom on the open road. National Road Trip Day celebrates all of it: the thrill of exploring, the happiness of cruising down the highway, and the unforgettable memories created along the way. It lands on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend on purpose, officially kicking off the unofficial first day of the summer travel season.

In 2019, Pilot Flying J, the largest travel center operator in North America, founded National Road Trip Day to get people excited about the open road. Pilot Flying J prepares all spring for the summer travel season, helping guests with the fuel, food, drinks, and travel necessities needed to make it from point A to point B as easily and conveniently as possible. With 750 travel center locations across North America, the company is a convenient one stop shop for travelers, offering clean bathrooms and a large assortment of snacks, beverages, and food options. The Registrar at National Day Calendar proclaimed the first National Road Trip Day in 2019, to be observed annually on the Friday before Memorial Day.

The official date roll for the day tells the story of the rule in action: May 24, 2019, May 29, 2020, May 28, 2021, May 27, 2022, May 26, 2023, May 24, 2024, May 23, 2025, May 22, 2026, and May 28, 2027, with May 26, 2028 and May 25, 2029 already on the books. Every one of those dates is the Friday before Memorial Day, which means you can set your summer travel plans by it. When National Road Trip Day arrives, summer has officially, unofficially begun.

Over the years, the day has grown into a full celebration of road trip culture. People share their travel stories, tips, and tricks, reminisce about unforgettable moments on the road, and inspire others to plan epic journeys of their own. Pilot Flying J has marked the occasion with campaigns like its Road Trip Reimagined celebration, which invited travelers to share favorite road trip memories and ultimate destinations while giving away gift cards to fuel future adventures. The company’s chief experience officer, Whitney Haslam Johnson, has said she hopes the day inspires people to discover new places to visit and rediscover the joy of the journey, with travel centers ready to supply everything from clean facilities to everyday items and a big selection of snacks, food, and beverages.

The best part of National Road Trip Day is that the trip can be any size. A cross country odyssey counts, but so does a two hour drive to a small town diner, a scenic loop through the countryside, or a sunset cruise with the windows down. What matters is the spirit of the thing: exploration, discovery, and connection, with the people you love riding shotgun. So check the tires, fill the tank, and let the Friday before Memorial Day be the day the adventure starts.

A little planning makes the miles happier. Veteran planners suggest a quick vehicle check before you leave, a loose itinerary that leaves room for spontaneous stops, and a packing approach that keeps the essentials within reach. Travelers are also embracing eco friendly road tripping: carpooling with friends, packing reusable bottles and bags to cut roadside waste, and choosing stops that support local businesses. The most sustainable souvenir, after all, is the story you bring home.

America practically invented the road trip, and the country is stitched together with legendary routes made for exactly this day. Cruise the neon nostalgia of Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, hug the cliffs of the Pacific Coast Highway, wind through the Blue Ridge Parkway when the mountains turn green, or trace the Great River Road along the Mississippi. Every region has its own classic drive, and National Road Trip Day is the ideal excuse to finally tackle the one on your list. The destination matters far less than the dashboard companions and the stories collected between mile markers.

No road trip is complete without the sacred canon of car games. The license plate game turns every highway into a scavenger hunt, the alphabet game has passengers racing to spot every letter on roadside signs, and twenty questions can happily eat up an entire state. Pad the hours with a round of “would you rather: road trip edition,” a storytelling game where each person adds one sentence, and a singalong playlist with at least one anthem everyone knows by heart. The miles fly by when the whole car is in on the fun.

THE STORY BEHIND NATIONAL ROAD TRIP DAY

🚗 Founded in 2019 by Pilot Flying J
In 2019, Pilot Flying J founded National Road Trip Day, the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, to officially kick off the unofficial first day of the summer travel season. The Registrar at National Day Calendar proclaimed the first observance in 2019 and set it to be celebrated each year on the Friday before Memorial Day. The very first National Road Trip Day fell on May 24, 2019.

⛽ The Travel Center Playbook
Pilot Flying J is the largest travel center operator in North America, with 750 locations serving travelers. The company prepares all spring for the summer travel season, providing guests with fuel, food, drinks, and travel necessities to make the journey from point A to point B as easy and convenient as possible, along with clean facilities and a large assortment of snacks, beverages, and food options.

📅 The Official Date Roll
The National Day Calendar media alert lists the official dates: May 24, 2019, May 29, 2020, May 28, 2021, May 27, 2022, May 26, 2023, May 24, 2024, May 23, 2025, May 22, 2026, May 28, 2027, May 26, 2028, and May 25, 2029. It is a perfect demonstration of the rule: every single date is the Friday before Memorial Day.

🗺️ Exploration, Discovery, and Connection
That trio of words is the spirit Pilot Flying J has used to describe what a road trip stands for. The company’s celebrations have invited travelers to share different ways to enjoy the open road, favorite road trip memories, and ultimate road trip destinations, turning the day into a nationwide conversation about the places we love and the ones we still dream of reaching.

🎵 The Anatomy of a Great Road Trip
Veteran road trippers know the essentials: a loose route with room for detours, a snack strategy that balances salty, sweet, and fresh, a playlist everyone can sing along to, and a few classic car games for the long stretches. Pack a real map too, because the best road trip stories always start with the words “we took a wrong turn and found.”

WAYS TO CELEBRATE

🗺️ Map a Mini Adventure
At home, plan a route for the weekend: a scenic byway, a small town with a famous diner, a state park you have never visited. Check the car, list your must see stops, and leave room in the schedule for the delightful detour you cannot plan for.

🍸 Pack the Ultimate Snack Kit
With friends, assemble the perfect road trip provisions: chips and salty foods, freshly made or grab and go bites, and everyone’s favorite road drinks. Build a shared playlist, agree on the car games, and assign someone the sacred duty of navigator.

📸 Share the Journey
In the community, document your adventure and post it with #NationalRoadTripDay to inspire fellow travelers. Stop at the quirky roadside attractions, support the local diners and shops along the way, and bring home a story worth telling.

Celebrate National Road Trip Day

On May 28, 2027, answer the call of the open road. Whether you drive for two hours or two weeks, pack the snacks, roll down the windows, and make the Friday before Memorial Day the day your summer adventure begins.