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A record number of people will travel for Thanksgiving 2024. What to expect in Wisconsin

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A record number of people will travel for Thanksgiving 2024. What to expect in Wisconsin

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Thanksgiving travel is expected to hit record highs this year, as nearly 80 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for the holiday, according to AAA’s annual forecast.

The forecast, which includes both the Tuesday before and Monday after Thanksgiving, projected that nearly two million more people will travel for the holiday compared to last year.

Though Thanksgiving is already the busiest holiday for travel, this year is expected “to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, in a news release.

Here’s what to know about Thanksgiving travel this year, including the worst and best times to travel to and from Wisconsin over the holiday weekend.

How many people are expected to travel by air and car this Thanksgiving?

Of the nearly 80 million Americans traveling this week, AAA projects about 71 million will travel by car and 5.8 million by air domestically. The remaining 2.3 million people will travel by other modes of transportation, including buses, trains and cruises.

Notably, the number of domestic flyers is up 2% from last year, while the number of international flight bookings is up a whopping 23%. AAA attributed this to the dip in international flight prices throughout 2024.

The number of people traveling by car is also finally jumping back up to pre-pandemic levels, with 1.3 million more people expected to drive this Thanksgiving than last. However, though traffic and road congestion is likely, drivers can actually look forward to relatively stable gas prices throughout the holiday, according to GasBuddy, a gas price analysis website.

GasBuddy forecasts the national average gas price will drop a couple cents to $2.98 during Thanksgiving travel days. In Wisconsin, the average price for a normal gallon of gas was $2.86 as of Nov. 25 — nearly 20 cents below the national average.

What are the best times to travel for Thanksgiving?

If you’re planning on making a Thanksgiving road trip, here are the best times to travel, according to AAA: 

  • Monday, Nov. 25: Before 11 a.m.
  • Tuesday, Nov. 26: Before 10 a.m.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 27: Before 10 a.m.
  • Friday, Nov. 29: After 1 p.m.
  • Saturday, Nov. 30: Before 1 p.m.
  • Sunday, Dec. 1: Before 1 p.m.
  • Monday, Dec. 2: Before 8 a.m. and after 7 p.m.

The AAA expects minimal traffic impact on Thanksgiving Day, which is Thursday, Nov. 28.

What are the worst times to travel for Thanksgiving?

For Thanksgiving road trips, here are the worst times to travel, according to AAA: 

  • Monday, Nov. 25: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Nov. 26: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 27: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Friday, Nov. 29: 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
  • Saturday, Nov. 30: 4 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Sunday, Dec. 1: noon to 6 p.m.
  • Monday, Dec. 2: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

AAA expects minimal traffic impact on Thanksgiving Day, which is Thursday, Nov. 28.

Will there be flight delays on Thanksgiving?

Like any busy travel period, Thanksgiving week may bring potential flight delays and cancellations. This year, in particular, possible rain and snow across much of the country may worsen flight complications. 

In the Milwaukee area, snowfall chances are the highest on Wednesday night — which is expected to be one of the busiest days for the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport this week, along with the Sunday after Thanksgiving, an airport spokesperson told the Journal Sentinel last month.

If your flight does end up delayed or canceled, you are entitled to certain refunds through federal law.

What are the most popular Thanksgiving destinations in the U.S. this year?

Here are the top 10 Thanksgiving travel destinations across the U.S., according to AAA: 

  1. Orlando, Florida
  2. Miami, Florida
  3. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
  4. New York, New York
  5. Anaheim/Los Angeles, California
  6. Tampa, Florida
  7. Honolulu, Hawaii
  8. San Francisco, California
  9. Las Vegas, Nevada
  10. Atlanta, Georgia

The top destinations were compiled using AAA booking data from Nov. 26 through Dec. 2. 

More: Milwaukee’s Thanksgiving travel forecast features possible snow, temperatures in the teens

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