AAA projects almost 80 million travelers for Thanksgiving break

A record number of holiday travelers are expected over Thanksgiving, according to the American Automobile Association.

AAA projects that 79.9 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more to spend the holiday with friends and family. That includes nearly 72 million hitting the highways, over a million more than last year and even surpassing the pre-pandemic record of 70.6 million in 2019.

Part of the attraction of driving this year is lower gas prices. During Thanksgiving in 2023, the national average was $3.26 a gallon. AAA says that this year, gas can be found at $2.25 to $2.50 per gallon in more than a dozen states east of the Rockies.

Air travel is also expected to set a record, projected at 5.8 million. That would be an increase of 2 percent over last year, and 11 percent more than 2019.

The auto club recommends the best times to travel by car will be before 11 a.m., and the worst time to be on the road on the days before Thanksgiving will be from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. The worst times for the return trip will be Friday morning from 7 til 10 a.m., and all day on Monday, Dec. 2.



(AP file photo)