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The day before Thanksgiving is traditionally the busiest travel day of the year.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) projects that 55.4 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over this holiday and that 49 million will drive. If you’re among those hitting the road, prepare for delays.
Transportation data analytics company INRIX expects Wednesday, Nov. 22, to be the busiest travel day, with average travel times as high as 80% over normal in some metro areas. INRIX recommends leaving in the morning or after 6 p.m. to avoid the heaviest holiday congestion.
“The day before Thanksgiving is notoriously one of the most congested days on our roadways. Travelers should be prepared for long delays, especially in and around major metros,” says Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX.
The chart below shows INRIX’s Worst and Best travel times forecast.
In metro Atlanta, the heaviest congestion is expected to be along I-20 East from Birmingham to Atlanta on Friday around 5 p.m. That usual two-hour-fifteen-minute trip could stretch to more than four hours (see below).
Pishue offers some common sense advice to help ease your holiday travel stress.
“Knowing when and where congestion will build can help minimize holiday traffic frustrations. We advise drivers to use traffic apps, local DOT notifications, and 511 services for real-time updates.”
Peak Congestion by Metro |
|||||||
Metro |
Route |
Peak Congestion Period |
Est. Travel Time |
Compared to Typical |
|||
Atlanta |
Birmingham to Atlanta via I-20 E |
Friday, 5:00 p.m. |
4 hours 2 minutes |
54% |
|||
Boston |
Boston to Hyannis via Pilgrim Hwy S |
Thursday, 3:30 p.m. |
1 hour 58 minutes |
54% |
|||
Chicago |
Chicago to Milwaukee via I-94 W |
Wednesday, 4:00 p.m. |
2 hours 1 minute |
18% |
|||
Denver |
Fort Collins to Denver via I-25 S |
Friday, 5:45 p.m. |
1 hour 37 minutes |
27% |
|||
Detroit |
Detroit to Grand Rapids via I-96 W |
Wednesday, 2:15 p.m. |
3 hours 8 minutes |
35% |
|||
Houston |
San Antonio to Houston via I-10 E |
Sunday, 4:45 p.m. |
4 hours 2 minutes |
38% |
|||
Los Angeles |
Los Angeles to Bakersfield via I-5 N |
Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. |
2 hours 59 minutes |
88% |
|||
Minneapolis |
Rochester to Minneapolis via US-52 E |
Friday, 5:30 p.m. |
1 hour 56 minutes |
15% |
|||
New York |
Jersey Shore to New York vis Garden St Parkway N |
Sunday, 11:15 a.m. |
1 hour 51 minutes |
64% |
|||
Portland |
Cannon Beach to Portland via Sunset Highway E |
Sunday, 2:45 p.m. |
1 hour 59 minutes |
36% |
|||
San Diego |
Palm Springs to San Diego via I-15 S |
Sunday, 4:45 p.m. |
2 hours 39 minutes |
24% |
|||
San Francisco |
Monterey to San Franciso via Santa Cruz Hwy N |
Sunday, 7:00 p.m. |
3 hours 10 minutes |
63% |
|||
Seattle |
Seattle to Bellingham via I-5 N |
Wednesday, 3:30 p.m. |
2 hours 39 minutes |
71% |
|||
Tampa |
Tampa to Orlando via I-4 E |
Thursday, 8:15 a.m. |
1 hour 55 minutes |
36% |
|||
Washington, DC |
Washington, DC to Baltimore via Balt/Wash Pkwy N |
Wednesday,2:00 p.m. |
1 hour 13 minutes |
71% |
|||
SOURCE: INRIX |