Atlanta Thanksgiving traffic: Best, worst times to travel, according to AAA

ATLANTA – As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, AAA has forecasted a significant surge in travel, with nearly 80 million Americans expected to travel 50 miles or more from home—marking potentially record-breaking numbers. Over 2 million of those travelers are expected to make their way to and through the metro Atlanta area.

The majority of those traveling across the country, a staggering 71.7 million, will be hitting the roads. Gas prices, which are notably lower now than they were this time last year, are contributing to the trend.

Car rental agencies are feeling the holiday rush too, with Hertz reporting the highest demand in cities like Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, among others. Wednesday was predicted to be the top day for renting vehicles, whereas busy return traffic is expected the Monday and Tuesday after the holiday.

Air travel isn’t far behind in breaking records. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is expecting more than 4 million passengers to pass through.

So, when is the best time to leave for Thanksgiving dinner?

INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, advises that the busiest travel times on the roads will be Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.

Thanksgiving Day morning may actually offer the lightest traffic. But, check out the FOX 5 Storm Team’s latest forecast before you head out. We’re expecting stormy weather in metro Atlanta.

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Wednesday afternoon weather forecast

Expect scattered rain throughout your Thanksgiving morning. Temperatures will plunge this weekend, reaching below freezing in many areas.

Heading back home after the festivities are over may prove to be a whole other circus.

For those returning on Sunday, an early departure is suggested to avoid major delays. Peak congestion is expected to hit by 4:45 p.m. It could take over three hours to get home via I-20 E, according to INRIX.

Monday travelers should be prepared for a mix of holiday traffic and regular commuters. The best time to hit the road would be before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m.

In metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., traffic jams could exceed more than double the norm. Travelers are advised to rely on traffic apps and news updates to navigate congested roads.

AAA considered the holiday period between Nov. 26 and Dec. 2 when collecting this data.

The Source: This article was written based on Thanksgiving travel data collected by AAA and S&P Global Market Intelligence (SPGMI). Historical travel volume estimates come from DK SHIFFLET’s TRAVEL PERFORMANCE/MonitorSM.