(The Center Square) – Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year, with over 81 million friends and families reconnecting across the dinner table this Thursday.
As the Southwest and the nation prepare for the holiday, the American Automobile Association predicts yet another year of growing number of trips. That’s despite an affordability crisis and concerns lingering after the recent federal government shutdown.
Over 81 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home this Thanksgiving, according to AAA. Nearly 90% – over 73 million – will do so by car. Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the busiest days as travelers gear up for Thanksgiving.
A record 6 million people are expected to fly in the coming days, with an average roundtrip domestic flight at $700. Some travelers could opt to drive amidst concerns of flight cancellations and short staffing from the recently ended federal government shutdown, but the FAA has assured shutdown cancellations have been restored.
“Holiday travel, specifically Thanksgiving where there’s a tremendous pull to be with family and friends, happens despite what people might be worried about costs or delays,” said John Treanor, AAA Mountain West senior communications specialist.
“What people do when they get there – the way a vacation might look – may be different,” Treanor told The Center Square. “That’s where people might be deciding [how] cost is going to affect things. ‘I need to maybe change my plans when I get to my destination…’ But when it comes to actually traveling and getting to those destinations, taking those trips, being with family and friends, we’re still predicting records.”
With the end of the federal shutdown, all flights should be back to operational full capacity, Treanor said, but added a word of caution about the Transportation Security Administration. “TSA has been dealing with short staffing, which means that you could see longer lines at TSA to get to your gate.”
AAA recommends people get to the airport two hours ahead of their flight for Thanksgiving travel and to account for potentially longer TSA lines.
And AAA says the best times to drive throughout the nation are before 11 a.m. Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; anytime on Thursday; before 10 a.m. Saturday; before 11 a.m. Sunday; and after 8 p.m. Monday.
The worst times, according to AAA, are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, 1 to 7 p.m. Friday, 1 to 8 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday and noon to 8 p.m. Monday.
Wherever you’re going, don’t drink and drive or text and drive, AAA reminds motorists. There were 868 deaths in the U.S. during the Thanksgiving weekend from 2019-2023.
The Southwest, meanwhile, will be caught in the thick of travel congestion, with each state facing unique problems and solutions for the holidays. Here’s a look at California, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado.
California
Nearly 6.8 million Southern Californians are expected to travel for Thanksgiving, over 5.9 million via roadtrip, said AAA.
Newsweek reported 9.6 million motorists are expected to drive throughout California, up from 9.4 million from Thanksgiving in 2024.
“Thanksgiving has always been a popular time to travel, but it’s really grown into an even greater priority in recent years after the pandemic limited those opportunities to connect with family and friends,” said Doug Shupe, communications manager for AAA Automobile Club of Southern California.
“This holiday continues to be one of the busiest and even more meaningful times of year to travel,” Shupe told The Center Square.
Shupe noted AAA will provide roadside assistance to roughly 147,000 Southern California drivers between Tuesday and Saturday.
“You really want to inspect that car,” said Shupe, stressing that tires, batteries and windshield wipers should be checked. “In Southern California, the sunshine can wreak havoc.”
Airports in California are not expected to be affected by shutdown cancellations.
“ Things are back to normal at the airports, but don’t take that for granted because these holiday weeks the airports will be packed,” said Shupe. “We still recommend that people get to the airports at least two hours before domestic flights, at least three hours before international flights.”
Nevada
Nevada is expected to see among the highest levels of movement from travelers in and out of the state, especially in Las Vegas.
“This is a tourist destination,” said AAA’s Treanor, a Las Vegas resident. “The travel sector, the tourism sector is a major industry, and we are on the top 10 list. Those destinations that we see people taking for their Thanksgiving holiday, Vegas is on there.”
Las Vegas regularly ranks among the top 10 Thanksgiving travel destinations. This year it’s ranked as the ninth most popular, behind several Florida and California metro areas, as well as Honolulu and New York City.
Las Vegas will also see the third highest demand for rental cars, with Wednesday the busiest pick up day, according to Hertz.
Arizona
AAA estimated 1.7 million Arizonans will travel for Thanksgiving, more than in 2024. The two major destinations from Arizona are Southern California and Las Vegas. The main travel corridors are expected to be in and out of the Phoenix area, as tens of thousands of people add to the usual traffic congestion of the area.
One unique tip AAA had for Arizona drivers is the gas price differences within the state.
“Gas is much cheaper in Southern Arizona compared to Northern [Arizona],” said Julian Paredes, AAA Arizona public relations specialist.
“There’s almost a 50 cent difference between Phoenix and Tucson,” Parades told The Center Square. “So people who are traveling for Thanksgiving can definitely be strategic about how they get gas. Just know that Southern Arizona is substantially cheaper than Phoenix or Northern Arizona.”
Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the busiest days to travel in Arizona.
Colorado
“Colorado tends to be a big beneficiary of travel to here, as a function of Thanksgiving and these holidays being the kickoff to the winter skiing season,” said Skyler McKinley, AAA regional director of public affairs.
While Colorado has been unseasonably warm and dry, McKinley said, high tourist rates are still expected.
“Many travelers had those travels booked, and they’re coming out here anyway,” McKinley told The Center Square.
Much of the congestion in Colorado is expected at Denver International Airport and the roads in the metro area. Travel into the high country via rental cars is likely to also see a sharp increase, McKinley said. “It’s good for the high country economy. It’s good for ski town economies. It’s good for tourist town economies.”
McKinley added that the high number of non-Colorado natives who have permanently moved to the Centennial State means plenty of people will leave Colorado for Thanksgiving.
While winter weather has not yet moved into Colorado, the first cold front could be expected around Thanksgiving time. “The first cold snap, and we’re starting to see one of those move in, tends to be the thing that kills your battery,” said McKinley. “It tends to be what triggers your tire pressure warning light on your dash. It’s when you get all sorts of operability problems.”
AAA stressed Coloradans should not neglect car servicing in preparation of Thanksgiving and the coming colder weather.
“Kick your tires both literally and figuratively before you go,” added McKinley.
AAA: Expect delays
AA stressed that drivers and flyers alike should be prepared in advance and expect delays on the single busiest holiday for Americans to travel. For drivers, AAA overloads can mean additional delays for roadside service. Last year, AAA responded to nearly 600,000 roadside emergencies such as dead batteries or flat tires around Thanksgiving time.
“ If you are traveling – just leave early, give yourself a lot of time, and be patient with other people,” said AAA’s Paredes. “Because traveling is a pretty stressful time for everybody, especially with so many people on the road.”
