Planning to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday? You certainly won't be alone.
Wednesday marks one of the busiest travel days of the holiday week, but things could get worse.
Thanksgiving this year falls on Thursday Nov. 24, and just as some are preparing turkeys, green bean casserole and grandma's famous mashed potatoes, others are preparing to pack their bags and hit the road - or the skies.
The Chicago Department of Aviation predicts as many as 1.7 million travelers will fly through O’Hare and Midway International Airports between Tuesday, Nov. 22 and Monday, Nov. 28 for the holiday weekend. That marks a 6.6% increase over the same period last year.
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“The CDA appreciates the valuable role that O’Hare and Midway play in bringing friends and families together from across the nation and the world to gather at Thanksgiving dinner tables,” CDA Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee said in a statement. “We have no higher priority this holiday season than providing a safe and secure environment for all of our passengers, employees and the entire aviation community.”
Meanwhile, AAA predicts nearly 55 million Americans will travel for the Thanksgiving holiday this year, with the majority of those people -- 49 million of them, to be exact -- driving to their destination. Overall, AAA says, 2022 is likely to be the third busiest travel year for Thanksgiving since 2000.
“Thanksgiving is one of the busiest holidays for road trips, and this year will be no different,” Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX said in a release.
Local
According to INRIX, highways in and around Chicago, Atlanta, New York City and Los Angeles are expected to be the most congested.
In the city specifically, I-290 West from Morgan Street to Wolf Road is expected to see a 99% percent increase in traffic the Wednesday before the holiday during rush hour, INRIX says.
So, when's the best time to hit the road?
According to INRIX, the best bet was to get going on Monday or Tuesday. But if you haven't left already, here are your next best options.
Best times to leave:
- 11/23: Before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m.
- 11/24: Before 11 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
- 11/25: Before 11 a.m. or after 8 p.m.
- 11/26: Before 2 p.m. or after 8 p.m.
- 11/27: Before 11 a.m. or after 8 p.m.
When it comes to the worst times to leave, here are the hours you'll want to avoid, INRIX says.
Worst times to leave:
- 11/23: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
- 11/24: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- 11/25: 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
- 11/26: 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
- 11/27: 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Meanwhile, for air travelers, here’s a look at the days surrounding Thanksgiving week over the past three years, ranked in order of most to fewest air travelers at the TSA’s U.S. checkpoints:
- Sunday after Thanksgiving (most crowded).
- Wednesday before.
- Saturday after.
- Friday before.
- Monday after (Cyber Monday).
- Sunday before.
- Tuesday before.
- Monday before.
- Saturday before.
- Tuesday after (Giving Tuesday).
- Friday after (Black Friday).
- Wednesday after.
- Thanksgiving Day (least crowded).
Assuming past trends continue in 2022, expect Sunday, Nov. 27, to be the busiest travel day around Thanksgiving, followed by Wednesday, Nov. 23. Even if you fly out one day ahead of the biggest crowds, Saturday, Nov. 26, will also likely be busy.
And this year, crowds will likely be bigger than they were over the past couple of years.
