Top Times to Avoid & Optimal Hours for Thanksgiving Travel

Thanksgiving Travel Surge Expected in North Carolina

Thanksgiving Travel: What to Expect

The holiday season is drawing near, with expectations for Thanksgiving travel to surpass the previous year’s numbers.

As per AAA’s holiday forecast, about 55.4 million people will travel during the Thanksgiving period, marking a 2.3% increase from 2022.

Americans and Thanksgiving Travel

“Thanksgiving and travel are synonymous for many Americans. This year, we anticipate more people traveling by road, air, and sea compared to 2022,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel.

Driving and Flying Records

AAA anticipates 49.1 million people will be driving for Thanksgiving, a 1.7% increase from 2022, while airports could see the highest number of Thanksgiving flyers since 2005, with 4.7 million people traveling.

Peak Travel Days

Not just the holiday itself, the period before and after Thanksgiving is also expected to witness heavy traffic.

As per AAA, the busiest travel days for flyers occur on the Tuesday and Wednesday preceding Thanksgiving. Sunday usually sees the highest number of people returning home.

The trend is similar for drivers, with the day before Thanksgiving being one of the most congested on roads. Real-time updates can be sought from traffic apps, local DOT notifications, and 511 services, advises Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX.

Here are the best and worst travel times for drivers over Thanksgiving weekend, according to AAA’s travel forecast:

Check out AAA’s full holiday forecast here.