Drivers should expect significantly higher traffic volumes on roadways as tens of millions of Americans are expected to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday.
More than 54.3 million Americas will be traveling this Thanksgiving, the highest single-year increase since 2005, according to a report from AAA in partnership with INRIX. Approximately 48.3 million of those travelers will be driving, AAA says.
The report predicts that “major metro areas across the U.S. could see more than double the delays versus typical drive times, with drivers in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New York City likely to experience more than three times the delays.”
“Thanksgiving is one of the busiest holidays for road trips and this year will be no different even during the pandemic,” says Bob Pishue, Transportation Analyst, INRIX. “Drivers around major metros must be prepared for significant delays, especially Wednesday afternoon. Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic.”
Check out the table below for the top 10 worst interstates/times to travel for holiday traffic.
| Worst Corridors and Times to Travel | |||
| Metro Area | Corridor | Peak Congestion | % Over Normal |
| Atlanta | I-85 S, Clairmont Rd to MLK Dr | Wednesday, 1:30 – 3:30PM | 340% |
| Boston | I-93 N, Quincy Market to MA-28 | Wednesday, 1:00 – 3:00PM | 240% |
| Chicago | I-290 W, Morgan St to Wolfe Rd | Wednesday, 2:45 – 4:45PM | 329% |
| Detroit | I-96 W, 6 Mile Rd to Walled Lake | Wednesday, 2:00 – 4:00PM | 211% |
| Houston | I-10 W, Sjolander Rd to TX-330 | Wednesday, 3:15 – 5:15PM | 344% |
| Los Angeles | I-5 S, Colorado St to Florence Ave | Wednesday, 3:45 – 5:45PM | 385% |
| New York | I-495 E, Borden Ave to Little Neck Pkwy | Wednesday, 2:30 – 4:30PM | 482% |
| San Francisco | I-80 E, I-580 to San Pablo Dam Rd | Wednesday, 4:00 – 6:00PM | 278% |
| Seattle | I-5 S, WA-18 to WA-7 | Wednesday, 4:00 – 6:00PM | 257% |
| Washington DC | I-95 S, I-395 to VA-123 | Wednesday, 2:00 – 4:00PM | 230% |
The report also detailed the best and worst times to travel during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
| Daily Worst and Best Times to Travel | ||
| Day | Worst Time | Best Time |
| Wednesday | 12:00 – 8:00PM | After 9:00PM |
| Thursday | 12:00 – 3:00PM | Before 11:00AM |
| Friday | 1:00 – 4:00PM | Before 11:00AM |
| Saturday | 2:00 – 7:00PM | Before 12:00PM |
| Sunday | 1:00 – 7:00PM | Before 12:00PM |
| Source: INRIX |