Thanksgiving is nearly upon us and that means millions of Americans are hitting the road.
AAA estimates 54.6 million people will travel at least 50 miles (80 km) away from home this year and that’s almost a return to pre-pandemic levels. A vast majority of them, 48.7 million, will be traveling by car and that’s a 0.4% increase from 2021. However, the group noted car travel remains 2.5% below 2019 levels.
With so many people traveling, drivers should expect delays especially in Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles. In particular, I-278 South in New York is expected to see a 158% increase in traffic between I-495 and 6th Ave.
Also: The U.S. Has Just 25 Days Worth Of Diesel, But More Is Coming
Credit: AAA
Traffic is expected to be the worst today, but tomorrow won’t be a cakewalk either. For those looking to avoid traffic on turkey day, experts suggest staying off the roads between 11:00 am and 6:00 pm. Of course, that’s easier said than done and drivers should pack plenty of patience.
Besides busier roads, drivers will have to deal with higher gas prices. While prices have fallen from their peak of $5.016 per gallon this summer, regular unleaded is still relatively expensive as the national average is $3.609 per gallon. That’s up from $3.403 per gallon last year and prices are roughly $1 more per gallon than before the pandemic.
Of course, prices vary by location and drivers in Los Angeles are getting hit by a double whammy of busy roads and high fuel costs. The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded is $5.157 in California and that means the state has the second highest average price behind Hawaii, where it’s $5.197 per gallon.
