ATLANTA — Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year will be no exception.
Travel club AAA projects a record 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home during the Thanksgiving holiday period from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1.
This year’s travel forecast marks an increase of 1.6 million travelers compared to last Thanksgiving, making it the busiest holiday for travel, surpassing other holidays like Memorial Day and July 4.
“Thanksgiving travel numbers are always impressive because this holiday has become synonymous with heading out of town to spend time with loved ones,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel.
AAA estimates that nearly 90% of Thanksgiving travelers, or about 73 million people, will travel by car. This is an increase of 1.3 million drivers compared to last year.
For those renting cars, Hertz, a AAA car rental partner, expects Wednesday to be the busiest pick-up day, with high demand in markets such as Orlando, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Newark.
Gas prices are similar to last year, with the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline at $3.06 on Thanksgiving Day.
AAA and MADD emphasize the dangers of impaired driving, noting that from 2019 to 2023, 868 people died in drunk-driving crashes during Thanksgiving, accounting for over one-third of all traffic fatalities during the holiday period.
Air travel is expected to see 6 million U.S. travelers taking domestic flights, a 2% increase from 2024, although this could change due to recent flight cancellations.
Roundtrip domestic flights are averaging $700, similar to last year, with cheaper flights available on Thanksgiving Day itself.
Travel by other modes, including buses, trains, and cruises, is projected to increase by 8.5% to nearly 2.5 million people.
Cruising continues to grow in popularity, with 20.7 million Americans expected to take cruises this year, and even more anticipated in 2026.
INRIX predicts peak congestion on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons before Thanksgiving and heavy traffic on Sunday as travelers return home.
Drivers are advised to travel in the morning to avoid the worst traffic and to be cautious of construction, crashes or severe weather that could impact travel times.
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