Practically 82 Million Americans Projected to Travel over Thanksgiving

 WASHINGTON, DC (November 17, 2025) – AAA tasks 81.8 million individuals will journey at the least 50 miles from dwelling over the Thanksgiving vacation interval from Tuesday, November 25 to Monday, December 1. This yr’s home journey forecast consists of an extra 1.6 million vacationers in comparison with final Thanksgiving, setting a brand new total report. Thanksgiving is the only busiest vacation for journey in comparison with others like Memorial Day and July 4.

“Thanksgiving travel numbers are always impressive because this holiday has become synonymous with heading out of town to spend time with loved ones,” mentioned Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “People are willing to brave the crowds and make last-minute adjustments to their plans to make lifelong memories, whether it’s visiting extended family or meeting up with friends.”

Thanksgiving Travelers by Mode of Transportation 

By Car: AAA tasks at the least 73 million individuals will journey by automotive, that’s practically 90 % of Thanksgiving vacationers and an extra 1.3 million individuals on the highway in comparison with final Thanksgiving. That quantity may find yourself being increased if some air vacationers determine to drive as a substitute of fly following current flight cancellations.

At the pump, drivers are paying about the identical as final yr, when the nationwide common for a gallon of normal gasoline was $3.06 on Thanksgiving Day. Filling the tank is a good suggestion the evening earlier than a highway journey because it’s one much less factor to do on journey day. AAA additionally recommends checking your battery and tire strain. Last Thanksgiving vacation interval, AAA responded to just about 600,000 emergency roadside help calls to assist stranded drivers with points like lifeless batteries, flat tires, and empty gas tanks.

As drivers put together to get behind the wheel, AAA and MADD remind vacationers in regards to the risks of impaired driving. This time of yr could be significantly lethal on the roads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, from 2019 to 2023, the dying toll in drunk-driving crashes throughout Thanksgiving festivities was 868, representing greater than one-third (35%) of all fatalities in site visitors crashes throughout that vacation interval. Have a plan in place earlier than Thanksgiving, and use a rideshare, designate a sober driver, or take public transit to make sure everybody’s security.

By Air: According to AAA, 6 million U.S. vacationers are anticipated to take home flights over the Thanksgiving vacation interval, a 2% improve in comparison with 2024. That determine may find yourself being barely decrease as some air vacationers make different plans following current flight cancellations. The variety of Thanksgiving air vacationers over the previous a number of years – except for 2020 – has been between 5 and 6 million.

According to AAA information, which relies on what vacationers paid once they booked their Thanksgiving journeys, a roundtrip home flight is averaging $700 which has similarities to final yr. It’s cheaper to fly on Thanksgiving Day itself, however the flight house is what drives up the ticket worth since Sunday and Monday are the busiest return days. Some vacationers shorten or lengthen their Thanksgiving journeys to keep away from flying on peak days.

By Other Modes: Travel by different modes is predicted to extend by 8.5% to just about 2.5 million individuals. Those vacationers are taking journeys by bus, practice, and cruise. Buses and trains may see an uptick in last-minute bookings this yr.

 AAA’s Thanksgiving Top Destinations 

The high vacation locations listed beneath are primarily based on AAA reserving information for the Thanksgiving journey interval. Florida is the most well-liked home vacation spot, because of the realm’s theme parks and cruise ports. The worldwide checklist is a mixture of Europe, the Caribbean, and Australia for its heat spring climate this time of yr. 

 Best/Worst Times to Drive and Peak Congestion by Metro 

INRIX, a supplier of transportation information and insights, expects Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon to be essentially the most congested durations earlier than Thanksgiving Day. Travelers returning dwelling on Sunday ought to anticipate heavy site visitors many of the day. Drivers ought to hit the highway within the morning to keep away from the worst backups, however bear in mind building, crashes, or extreme climate may impression journey occasions. Slow Down, Move Over for emergency responders and different stopped autos on the facet of the highway to make sure everybody’s security. 

Please be aware the occasions listed beneath are for the time zone during which the metro is positioned. For instance, Atlanta routes = ET and Los Angeles routes = PT. 

SOURCE: INRIX 

Holiday Travel Forecast Methodology  

In cooperation with AAA, S&P Global Market Intelligence (SPGMI) developed a singular methodology to forecast precise home journey volumes. The financial variables used to forecast journey for the present vacation are leveraged from SPGMI’s proprietary databases. These information embody macroeconomic drivers equivalent to employment, output, family internet value, asset costs together with inventory indices, rates of interest, housing market indicators, and variables associated to journey and tourism, together with gasoline costs, airline journey, and resort stays. AAA and SPGMI have quantified vacation journey volumes going again to 2000. 

Historical journey quantity estimates come from MMGY’s TRAVEL PERFORMANCE/MonitorSM. The PERFORMANCE/MonitorSM is a complete examine measuring the journey habits of U.S. residents. MMGY contacts over 50,000 U.S. households every month to acquire detailed journey information, ensuing within the distinctive skill to estimate customer quantity and spending, establish tendencies, and forecast U.S. journey habits, all after the journeys have been taken.   

The journey forecast is reported in person-trips. In explicit, AAA and SPGMI forecast the entire U.S. vacation journey quantity and anticipated mode of transportation. The journey forecast offered on this report was finalized the week of October 20, 2025. 

Because AAA vacation forecasts concentrate on home leisure journey solely, comparisons to TSA passenger screening numbers shouldn’t be made. TSA information consists of all passengers touring on each home and worldwide routes, whether or not touring for work or leisure. Additionally, TSA screens passengers every time they enter secured areas of the airport, due to this fact every one-way journey is counted as a passenger tally. AAA focuses on person-trips, which embody the total round-trip journey itinerary. As a consequence, direct comparisons of AAA forecast volumes and day by day TSA screenings characterize various factors. 

INRIX Methodology 

INRIX blends statistically grounded fashions with real-world highway habits to forecast journey circumstances on essentially the most closely traveled routes throughout the U.S. throughout peak vacation durations. INRIX’s vacation site visitors forecast combines pre-selected high-impact journey routes, wealthy multi-source site visitors information, and a statistically sturdy linear regression mannequin to generate detailed, time-specific journey delay predictions. INRIX’s information sources embody a wide selection of vehicle-based and infrastructure-based inputs. These embody related car GPS information, cell apps and navigation companies, roadside sensors and cameras, and business fleet telematics. With expansive protection, excessive temporal decision, and historic context, this forecasting course of offers important insights for vacationers, media, and businesses alike. 

Thanksgiving Holiday Travel Period  

The Thanksgiving vacation journey interval is outlined because the seven-day interval from Tuesday, November 25 to Monday, December 1, 2025. This Thanksgiving journey window was instituted beginning in 2024. Historical outcomes had been calculated courting again to 2019 utilizing the identical seven-day interval.  

About AAA 

Founded in 1902 by automotive fanatics advocating for higher roads and safer mobility, AAA has grown into considered one of North America’s largest and most trusted membership organizations. Guided by our mission to Save Lives, Create Member Value, and Deliver Exceptional Experiences, AAA offers world-class roadside help, journey planning, unique reductions, and dependable monetary and insurance coverage companies. Today, AAA enhances the life journey of greater than 65 million members throughout North America, together with over 58 million within the United States. Learn extra or develop into a member at AAA.com. 

About S&P Global Market Intelligence 

At S&P Global Market Intelligence, we perceive the significance of correct, deep and insightful info. Our crew of consultants delivers unmatched insights and main information and expertise options, partnering with prospects to broaden their perspective, function with confidence, and make choices with conviction. S&P Global Market Intelligence is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI). S&P Global is the world’s foremost supplier of credit score rankings, benchmarks, analytics and workflow options within the international capital, commodity and automotive markets. With each considered one of our choices, we assist most of the world’s main organizations navigate the financial panorama to allow them to plan for tomorrow, right this moment. For extra info, go to spglobal.com/marketintelligence.

About MMGY 

MMGY Global is the world’s main built-in advertising agency specializing within the journey, hospitality, and way of life industries. With working manufacturers world wide, the award-winning group maintains a worldwide communications follow in all advertising channels, serving most of the world’s premier journey and tourism manufacturers. As an organization devoted to the journey business, MMGY Global strives to create a related, inclusive, and peaceable world by selling journey as a cultural bridge of understanding. For extra info, go to www.mmgyglobal.com. 

About INRIX    

Founded in 2004, INRIX pioneered clever mobility options by remodeling large information from related gadgets and autos into mobility insights. This revolutionary strategy enabled INRIX to develop into one of many main suppliers of information and analytics into how individuals transfer. By empowering cities, companies, and other people with useful insights, INRIX helps to make the world smarter, safer, and greener. With companions and options spanning throughout your complete mobility ecosystem, INRIX is uniquely positioned on the intersection of expertise and transportation – whether or not it’s preserving highway customers protected, enhancing site visitors sign timing to cut back delay and greenhouse gasses, optimizing final mile supply, or serving to uncover market insights. Learn extra at INRIX.com.