2024 Thanksgiving travel: Record number of Southern Californians expected to drive and fly

Roughly 6.58 million Southern California residents are expected to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, topping pre-pandemic travel numbers, according to Automobile Club of Southern California estimates released Tuesday.

The projected travel number is a 2.8% increase over last year’s record-setting figures. The Auto Club noted that for the first time, it has added the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and the Monday after Thanksgiving to the holiday travel period, “to better capture the flow of holiday travelers.” The travel period covers seven days, beginning Nov. 26 and ending Dec. 2.

The 6.58 million prediction is 3.5% above the travel figures from 2019, prior to the COVID pandemic.

The vast majority of travelers, roughly 5.7 million, are expected to reach their destination by car, while 676,000 are expected to fly, and 182,000 are expected to use other means, such as bus, train or cruise ship.

Nationally, 79.86 million people are expected to travel, making it the busiest Thanksgiving holiday season on record.

“Travel volumes for major holidays this year have consistently surpassed pre-pandemic levels, and the Thanksgiving holiday will be no exception,” Jena Miller, the Auto Club’s vice president for travel products and services, said in a statement. “This trend highlights growing consumer confidence to travel as families and friends jump on the opportunity to reconnect, whether through shared vacations or trips to visit loved ones.”