This year, millions of Americans will be traveling across the country to spend time with friends and family this Thanksgiving.
AAA estimates 54.6 million people will travel 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving, and that’s a 1.5 percent increase over 2021 and 98 percent more than pre-pandemic volumes. In addition, AAA says this year is expected to be the third busiest for Thanksgiving travel since the organization started keeping track of those numbers in 2000.
“Families and friends are eager to spend time together this Thanksgiving, one of the busiest for travel in the past two decades,” said Paul Twidale, AAA’s Senior Vice President of Travel. “Plan ahead and pack your patience, whether you’re driving or flying.”
The overwhelming majority of those traveling will do so by car and they will face the highest-ever gas prices for the annual holiday. While gas prices are slowly declining – the national average for a gallon of gasoline dropped 11 cents in the past week to $3.66 – this week will see the highest Thanksgiving national average price since AAA started keeping records in 2000.
