Thanksgiving travel is always rough, but 2025 is shaping up to be a doozy
One Thanksgiving, my husband and I decided to drive across the country to visit family—along with our four kids under 8 and, for reasons that are too dumb to explain here, the family cat. We gave the cat some kitty Valium, but instead of knocking her out, it just made her high. At which point one of the kids decided to let her out of her carrier … while we were on the freeway … in bumper-to-bumper traffic. We were trapped for hours in that pandemonium—and that was before we even made it to our destination. If I’d known the best time to travel to avoid Thanksgiving holiday traffic, at least one of those negatives could have been avoided. (The cat situation is 100% my fault, and I’ll own that.)
Thankfully, AAA just released its annual Thanksgiving travel report, so here’s hoping 2025 won’t be a repeat of that fiasco, cat or no cat. The stakes are high: We’ve just been through the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history, which affected everything from air traffic control staffing to flight cancellations to people’s attitudes about their relatives’ voting habits (you’re on your own there). This year, AAA projects nearly 82 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period—an increase of 1.6 million people over last year. Nearly 90% of those folks will travel by car.
And even though the government is back up and running, AAA says the long tail of the shutdown could affect decisions to fly, drive or take other modes of transportation. (Thanksgiving cruise, anyone?) In other words, AAA’s 2025 travel report couldn’t come at a better time. If you’re going to be part of the record-setting crowd this year, you definitely don’t want to set a personal record for how long it takes you to drive to your destination. Read on to find out the best and worst times to travel this year to avoid Thanksgiving holiday traffic.
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How were the best and worst times to travel over Thanksgiving determined?
AAA worked with INRIX and S&P Global Market Intelligence to come up with these travel predictions for everyone’s favorite November holiday. They analyzed previous years’ travel patterns and examined dozens of variables that affect traffic, such as macroeconomic factors (like employment numbers and net worth) and things related directly to travel, including gasoline prices, airline travel and hotel stays.
To make the travel forecast for Thanksgiving 2025, AAA and its partners also surveyed more than 50,000 American households every month about their travel habits. The report was finalized on Oct. 20, 2025, when the government shutdown was still in full swing. Habits specific to that disruption are not broken out in the AAA data, but they could certainly impact personal travel decisions this year.
What are the best times to drive to and from your Thanksgiving destination?
The best times to drive are early in the morning or later in the evening. If you think you might be able to swing a half day at work and leave a few hours before rush hour, think again. And of course, anything near the end of the school or work day will probably have you sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic. As for the best day to travel? That would be Thanksgiving Day itself—likely because everyone would prefer to be at their destination by then!
The Thanksgiving travel period runs from Tuesday, Nov. 25, to Monday, Dec. 1. Here are the best times to drive to and from your destination:
- Tuesday, Nov. 25: Before 12 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 26: Before 11 a.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving): All day, any time
- Friday, Nov. 28: Before 11 a.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 29: Before 10 a.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 30: Before 11 a.m.
- Monday, Dec. 1: After 8 p.m.
Note that the times listed here are universal and not dependent on a particular time zone.
What are the worst times to drive to and from your Thanksgiving destination?
For pretty much the entire week, the worst times to drive are the afternoons and evenings. And AAA predicts that just like last year, the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving will be the most congested. (Thanksgiving itself is a great day to drive, but your family might need convincing.)
Below, see the times you definitely want to avoid being on the road, according to AAA. Again, the times listed here count for all time zones:
- Tuesday, Nov. 25: 12 p.m.–9 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 26: 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving): All day, any time
- Friday, Nov. 28: 1 p.m.–7 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 29: 1 p.m.–8 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 30: 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
- Monday, Dec. 1: 12 p.m.–8 p.m.
What are the worst driving routes on Thanksgiving?
No, you can’t choose your family—or where you’ll be driving to see them. Which means you’ll have to buckle up, hope for the best and try to leave at the optimal time if you’re taking one of these routes into and out of major metropolitan areas. It’s best to check your local news and traffic apps for the most current travel information, but below, you’ll find the peak congestion for the five worst offenders on AAA’s list.
For these routes, times are relative to the time zone in which the area is located.
Washington, D.C.
- Route: Washington, D.C., to Baltimore via the Baltimore/Washington Parkway North
- Peak congestion: Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 4:30 p.m.
- Estimated travel time: 1 hour and 50 minutes
- Increase in travel time compared with a typical day: 166%
New York
- Route: New York City to the Hamptons via the Long Island Expressway East
- Peak congestion: Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 4:30 p.m.
- Estimated travel time: 4 hours and 8 minutes
- Increase in travel time compared with a typical day: 163%
Los Angeles
- Route: Los Angeles to Bakersfield, California, via I-5 North
- Peak congestion: Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 7:45 p.m.
- Estimated travel time: 4 hours and 10 minutes
- Increase in travel time compared with a typical day: 147%
San Fransisco
- Route: San Fransisco to Santa Rosa, California, via US-101 North
- Peak congestion: Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 7:15 p.m.
- Estimated travel time: 2 hours and 34 minutes
- Increase in travel time compared with a typical day: 114%
Boston
- Route: Boston to Hyannis, Massachusetts, via Pilgrim’s Highway South
- Peak congestion: Thursday, Nov. 27, at 11:45 a.m.
- Estimated travel time: 2 hours
- Increase in travel time compared with a typical day: 108%
Check AAA’s site for other big metro areas and their predicted delays, including Tampa (an 85% increase in travel time to Orlando on I-4 East), Philadelphia (an 85% increase on I-95 South to Baltimore and Washington, D.C.) and San Diego (a 79% increase on I-15 to Palm Springs, California).
Also remember that even if you’re not going the entire distance on this route, your trip will still be massively affected if you’re turning off at a destination along the way. If you can’t leave at the optimal time, you may want to look into alternate routes or modes of transportation.
What are the best and worst times for air travel over Thanksgiving?
Typically, peak flying days are Tuesday and Wednesday before the holiday, with the busiest times in the early mornings and late afternoons. According to AAA, just over 6 million Americans are expected to fly for Thanksgiving in 2025 (a 2% increase from last year). The AAA report doesn’t speak to specific travel times or delays for flights, but it anticipates that the government shutdown could affect people’s decision to fly or drive—potentially putting even more drivers on the road.
Of course, if you are flying, it’s likely you’ve already bought your tickets. No matter when you’re flying this holiday (except on Thanksgiving Day itself, which is typically the slowest day for travel across the board), plan for longer security lines and potential delays.
Good luck—and Happy Thanksgiving!
Knowing when to travel is just one part of the holiday experience. Make sure your navigation apps are up to date, pack yummy road-trip snacks and always check weather forecasts—both for your current location and your destination.
And no matter how you’re traveling this year, we hope this info helps you to travel safely and efficiently, and that you have the happiest of holidays … hopefully with no traffic jams, massive flight delays or drugged cats.
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Source:
- AAA Newsroom: “Nearly 82 Million Americans Projected to Travel Over Thanksgiving”
