Christmas is just two weeks away and while this may be the most wonderful time of the year, it’s also one of the busiest for travel. According to a new report from AAA, 122.4-million people across the country will be traveling 50 miles or more from home between December 20th and January 1st. That’s 2.2% more than last year, and a new record high.
Most folks will be driving to their destinations for the year-end holidays, AAA estimates that 109.5-million Americans will travel by car.
- That’s 89% of holiday travelers, which means the roads will be busy.
- Airports will be crowded, too, as AAA projects a record 8-million people will be flying in the U.S. for the holidays.
- Another 4.9-million are expected to travel by bus, train or cruise, up 9% from 2024.
- The top holiday destinations this year all feature warm weather, including Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami, Florida, as well as Anaheim, California, and Honolulu, Hawaii.
If you’re hitting the road for the holidays, be prepared for heavy traffic. Christmas week is expected to be busier than New Year’s week, but both will see more people on the road.
- As usual, the holidays themselves - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day - will be the least busy for drivers.
- The heaviest traffic is expected to be the Saturday and Sunday (December 20th and 21st) before Christmas, the day after Christmas (December 26th), and on December 28th, 29th and 30th.
- Stay off the roads after 9 p.m. on December 20th and before 1 p.m. on December 21st through 23rd to avoid the worst traffic.
Source: AAA