This year will bring a monumental historic volume of Americans traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday. AAA projects 55.4 million travelers in the United States will head 50 miles or more from their homes over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. According to AAA this marks a 2.3% over last years thanksgiving travel statistics.
Hitting The Roads
The roads are projected to be significantly busier compared to last year. AAA is projecting over 49 million Americans will travel by vehicle during the Thanksgiving holiday. This reflects a 1.7% increase from 2022 AAA data. The researchers at AAA have outlined some better times to begin hitting the roads along with the undesirable times.
Best Times To Drive
- Wednesday, November 22 before 11AM.
- Thursday, November 23 before 10AM or after 5PM.
- Friday, November 24 before 11AM or after 7PM.
- Saturday, November 25 before 12PM.
- Sunday, November 26 before 12PM.
Worst Times To Drive
- Wednesday, November 22 2PM-6PM.
- Thursday, November 23 11AM-3PM
- Friday, November 24 12PM-4PM.
- Saturday, November 25 3PM-5PM.
- Sunday, November 26 3PM-5PM.
Hitting The Skies
AAA estimates over 4.7 million passengers to travel by air this Thanksgiving, a 6.6% increase compared to 2022. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recommends arriving at the airport two hours prior to the scheduled departure time and has outlined some travel tips to pass through the checkpoint more quickly. It is possible to avoid the lines and fly “semi privately” with operators like JSX and Aero.
Train Travel
More Americans are taking to train travel to get where they need to go for Thanksgiving. Approximately 1.55 million travelers will use rail, bus or ship as modes of transportation, an 11% increase from 2023 numbers. Certain commuter bus and rail agencies may operated a modified schedule during the holiday week so it is best to plan ahead. As always be appreciative of the frontline workers working their hardest to ensure a safe and efficient Thanksgiving travel period.