When are the best and worst times to drive during Thanksgiving week? You’ll want to plan

The Thanksgiving holiday stretch continues with heavy traffic on the roads and highways of Florida as people travel to Black Friday, tourists take day trips and people start heading home. Miami Herald File

Expect busy roads in Florida during Thanksgiving week.

People scrambling to get to their family’s holiday dinner. Shoppers scurrying to Black Friday sales at stores and malls. Others hitting the road during their extended time off for a few days out of town.

To help get you around with less pain, AAA, the organization behind the emergency road service, has put together a best of times/worst of times schedule of when you should take to or stay off the streets during the holiday stretch.

How many of us are hitting the road?

The AAA estimates that more than 55 million people will hit the road for a trip of 50 miles or more, a 2.3% increase over last year. In Florida, the organization projects more than 3 million Floridians will travel 50 miles or more the second highest on record and 3% more holiday travelers than last year.

“For many Americans, Thanksgiving and travel go hand in hand, and this holiday, we expect more people on the roads, skies, and seas compared to 2022,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. “Travel demand has been strong all year, and AAA’s Thanksgiving forecast reflects that continued desire to get away and spend time with loved ones.”

With South Florida schools off for Thanksgiving week, plenty of families will start hitting the road the weekend before Thanksgiving.

“Travel demand has been strong all year and that trend will continue with one of the busiest Thanksgivings on record,” said Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA. “With more people taking to the roads, skies, rails and sea; travelers should expect congested roads and longer lines at transportation terminals. AAA encourages travelers to develop their plan now, leave early, and be courteous to others.”

The best and worst times to drive during the holiday stretch

But the one day that’s truly worse than all the others is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, according to AAA. Analysts expect Nov. 22 to be the busiest on the roads, with average travel times as high as 80% over normal in some metro areas.

“The day before Thanksgiving is notoriously one of the most congested days on our roadways. Travelers should be prepared for long delays, especially in and around major metros,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX. “Knowing when and where congestion will build can help minimize holiday traffic frustrations.”

Here’s a breakdown of the traffic forecast: