AAA Reveals Exact Worst Times For Illinoisans, Iowans To Travel This Thanksgiving

Aren't we all so excited for the drive home?

Air travel doesn't exactly have a ton of customer confidence these days, so it's expected a lot of holiday travelers will drive. In fact, the AAA is predicting record numbers for Thanksgiving travel.

They forecast that at least 81.8 million people will travel 50 miles or more around the Thanksgiving holiday. The domestic travel forecast sets a new overall record, beating out last year by 1.6 million.

Thanksgiving is the single busiest travel holiday, besides Memorial Day and July 4th, according to AAA.

The uptick in Thanksgiving travelers has just been going up since COVID in 2020, starting with 73.6 million in 2021.

As for method of travel, AAA predicts that at least 73 million people will travel by car this year, which is about 90% of Thanksgiving travelers. Recent flight cancelations are credited with that, and the AAA is saying the number of road travelers could still increase as people change their flight plans.

When To Drive

Here's what to know from the AAA:

• Tuesday, Nov. 25
  • Best Times: Before 12:00 p.m.
  • Worst Times: 12:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 26
  • Best Times: Before 11:00 a.m.
  • Worst Times: 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 27
  • Minimal traffic impact expected
• Friday, Nov. 28
  • Best Times: Before 11:00 a.m.
  • Worst Times: 1:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 29
  • Best Times: Before 10:00 a.m.
  • Worst Times: 1:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 30
  • Best Times: Before 11:00 a.m.
  • Worst Times: 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
• Monday, Dec. 1
  • Best Times: After 8:00 p.m.
  • Worst Times: 12:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

So like with most holidays, your best bet to avoid a lot of traffic is to leave early in the mornings.

You can see the full forecast from the AAA here.