This Thanksgiving Travel Period Projected to Be Busiest on Record: What to Know

The American Automobile Association (AAA) estimated that 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Thanksgiving holiday period.

Travelers wait at a ride-sharing and taxi pickup area at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in Arlington, Va., on Nov. 27, 2024. Benoit Tessier/Reuters

Despite coming off the heels of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, Americans are projected to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday this year at record levels, with nearly 90 percent expected to hit the open road.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) estimates that 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Nov. 25 and Dec. 1.