Thanksgiving is the single busiest holiday for travel, according to AAA. With that in mind, here are a few things travelers should know before embarking on their holiday journey.
This year, Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, Nov. 27. The holiday travel period is from Tuesday, Nov. 25 to Monday, Dec. 1.
AAA projects 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Thanksgiving holiday period. It’s predicted that an additional 1.6 million domestic travelers will hit the road, compared to last Thanksgiving, setting a new overall record.
“Thanksgiving travel numbers are always impressive because this holiday has become synonymous with heading out of town to spend time with loved ones,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “People are willing to brave the crowds and make last-minute adjustments to their plans to make lifelong memories, whether it’s visiting extended family or meeting up with friends.”
AAA projects at least 73 million people will travel by car, which makes up about 90% of Thanksgiving travelers, according to AAA.
Drivers are paying about the same as last year at the pump, when the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.06 on Thanksgiving Day.
AAA officials advise drivers to fill the tank the night before a road trip, and check the car battery and tire pressure before hitting the road. During the Thanksgiving 2024 travel period, AAA responded to nearly 600,000 emergency roadside assistance calls to help stranded drivers with issues like dead batteries, flat tires and empty fuel tanks.
Roughly 6 million U.S. travelers are expected to take domestic flights over the Thanksgiving holiday period, a 2% increase compared to 2024.
However, AAA believes that figure could end up being slightly lower as some air travelers make other plans following recent flight cancellations due to the government shutdown. The number of Thanksgiving air travelers over the past several years – with the exception of 2020 – has been between 5 and 6 million, according to AAA.
INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, expects Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon to be the most congested periods before Thanksgiving Day.
Travelers returning home on Sunday should also expect heavy traffic most of the day.
AAA suggests that drivers leave in the morning to avoid the worst backups. Along I-5 in Los Angeles, the peak congestion time is estimated to be Wednesday around 7:45 p.m. In Northern California, along 101-N, peak congestion time is Tuesday night.
Central Valley travelers flying out of Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) should know that the three busiest days at airports nationwide will be Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after the holiday.
To avoid the worst airport crowds, choose the Monday before Thanksgiving (Nov. 25) or Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 28). AAA added that those days typically have some of the lowest prices on tickets around the holiday.
FAT recommends that travelers be prepared and provides the following holiday travel tips:
Arrive early
Prepare for TSA security screening
Monitor airline flight status
