Turkey Day is fast approaching, but before you can even think of feasting on your favorite dish Thanksgiving Menu (or tune in Food Network’s Thanksgiving lineup), it’s time to make travel plans.
Last year, AAA predicted that more than 53.4 million people would travel during Thanksgiving, the biggest single-year increase since 2005. isn’t it has to be a nightmare. In fact, with the right planning and a little luck, you’ll be flying or burning rubber like a pro this Thanksgiving.
Google Maps collected data to give us more insight into traveling during Thanksgiving, including the busiest and least busy times and days to hit the road and the days when airports will be busiest. Between their guidelines and some other tips we have for you, you’ll be set! Read on for all the recommendations.
After looking at traffic data in more than 20 major US cities for Thanksgiving 2021, Google Maps concluded that the best time to hit the road is usually Monday before Thanksgiving at 8 p.m. local time. The Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving are historically the busiest travel days, especially around 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. If you plan to travel on Thanksgiving Day, be aware that the roads are the busiest between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.. Ideally, you should plan to leave before noon.
If you are a Black Friday shopper, you can expect traffic to increase about 16 o’clock that day (depending on where you live). And finally, for travelers returning home over the Thanksgiving weekend, it’s best to stay off the roads 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Early risers win out on these days, but generally the best times to go are 6 a.m. or 8 p.m. local time.
Josiah Soto is the associate news and social media editor for The Pioneer Woman. He helps manage the website’s social channels, in addition to writing high-performing news and entertainment content on a daily basis.
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