Nearly 80M Americans Expected to Travel Over Thanksgiving

A projected 79.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel between Tuesday, Nov. 26 and Monday, Dec. 2, according to a new report from AAA.

This year’s projection marks an increase of 1.7 million people compared to 2023 and 2 million more than 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,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “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.” 

A projected record 71.7 million people will travel by car over Thanksgiving, which is 1.3 million more travelers on the road than in 2023. AAA projects 5.84 million people will fly domestically this holiday and nearly 2.3 million people are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, including buses, cruises, and trains.

According to INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, the worst times to travel by car over Thanksgiving are Tuesday, Nov. 26 and the afternoon of Wednesday, Nov. 27. The best time to hit the road is Thanksgiving Day itself when interstates and highways are typically clear.

In Massachusetts, the worst day to travel is the late afternoon on Tuesday, Nov. 26, particularly between Boston and Portsmouth on Interstate 95 North. The estimated travel time is 2 hours and 35 minutes, a 117% increase to traffic compared to a typical day.

This marks the first year that AAA’s Thanksgiving forecast is a longer timeframe to include the Tuesday before the holiday and the Monday after. Historically, AAA only looked at Wednesday through Sunday.