Here’s when you should hit the road for Thanksgiving

Nearly 80 million people will travel at least 50 miles from their home for Thanksgiving this year, according to AAA.

A record 71.1 million people are projected to drive over the holiday, up by 1.3 million drivers from 2023, AAA added.

This year’s figure surpasses pre-pandemic numbers, when 70.6 million people drove to their Thanksgiving destinations in 2019.

“Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising,” Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement. “Americans reconnect with family and friends over Thanksgiving, and travel is a big part of that. AAA continues to see travel demand soar post-pandemic with our members looking for new adventures and memorable vacations.”

People traveling by car for Thanksgiving dinner this year should probably avoid hitting the road on the Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons before the big holiday, according to AAA.

Instead, try to drive on Thanksgiving Day itself when interstates and highways are usually clear, AAA said.

“With a record number of travelers expected to be on the road, drivers should follow traffic apps and local news alerts to avoid major delays,” Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, said in a statement. “This is especially important for drivers in metropolitan areas like Boston, New York, LA, Seattle, and Washington, DC, where traffic is expected to be more than double what it typically is on a normal day.”

If you are traveling from Boston to Portsmouth, Maine through Interstate 95 northbound, then expect traffic to peak on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 3:45 p.m., the AAA said. It will likely take two hours and 35 minutes to get there, AAA said.