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A record number of travelers will hit the road this year, according to AAA.
LOS ANGELES – If you’re hitting the road this Thanksgiving — you definitely won't be alone!
An unprecedented 81.8 million people are expected to travel domestically, setting a new overall record with 1.6 million more travelers than last year. 
By the numbers:
AAA projects that 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the seven-day Thanksgiving holiday period, a new record. 
This represents an increase of 1.6 million travelers compared to the previous Thanksgiving. 
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The overwhelming majority, about 90%, will travel by car, while severe congestion is expected during Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons and all day Sunday.
The holiday remains the single busiest travel period compared to others like Memorial Day and July 4.
Here’s a look at Los Angeles’ bumper-to-bumper traffic ahead of the holiday weekend.
Big picture view:
INRIX, a provider of transportation data, expects travelers returning home on Sunday, November 30, should anticipate heavy traffic most of the day.
Local perspective:
The most dramatic traffic increases are expected in the following metropolitan areas:
Dig deeper:
The vast majority of travelers, about 73 million people (nearly 90% of all Thanksgiving travelers), will travel by car, adding 1.3 million people to the roads compared to last year.
6 million U.S. travelers are expected to take domestic flights, a 2% increase compared to last year.
Travel by other modes (bus, train, and cruise) is expected to increase by 8.5% to nearly 2.5 million people.
Cruising: Cruise travel is appealing for Thanksgiving, especially to the Caribbean. AAA is forecasting 20.7 million American cruise passengers this year, with an even higher forecast of 21.7 million for 2026.
The vast majority of travelers, about 73 million people (nearly 90% of all Thanksgiving travelers), will travel by car, adding 1.3 million people to the roads compared to last year.
6 million U.S. travelers are expected to take domestic flights, a 2% increase compared to last year.
Travel by other modes (bus, train, and cruise) is expected to increase by 8.5% to nearly 2.5 million people.
Cruising: Cruise travel is appealing for Thanksgiving, especially to the Caribbean. AAA is forecasting 20.7 million American cruise passengers this year, with an even higher forecast of 21.7 million for 2026.
Why you should care:
AAA and MADD remind travelers about the dangers of impaired driving, which makes this time of year particularly deadly.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):
The Source: All projections and data regarding the 81.8 million travelers and modes of transportation are directly sourced from the AAA Thanksgiving Travel Forecast, which utilizes a proprietary methodology developed in cooperation with S&P Global Market Intelligence (SPGMI). Traffic congestion and peak drive-time data are supplied by INRIX, a specialized provider of transportation insights, and driver safety statistics originate from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This reporting relies entirely on data and expert analysis from these authoritative national organizations.
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