Will These Super-Busy Travel Forecasts Slow You Down?

Though vehicles (and sometimes your patience) can take a beating during the holiday season, nothing tests drivers more than Thanksgiving weekend--and that will go double for this upcoming 2021 Thanksgiving weekend, as the post-pandemic rebound continues. 

Ever in a giving mood, we’ve gone ahead and compiled some of the Thanksgiving forecasts (directly from AAA) to help you guide or plan for the worst in those long drives:

Top 20 Most Popular Travel Destinations

  • Orlando, FL 
  • Anaheim, CA
  • New York, NY
  • Dallas, TX
  • Phoenix, AZ
  • Honolulu, HI
  • Kahului, Maui, HI
  • Atlanta, GA
  • Tampa, FL
  • Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Worst Travel Corridors (and Times) 

  • Chicago I-290 W, Morgan St to Wolfe Rd

Wed, 2:45 – 4:45PM (329% over normal)

  • Atlanta I-85 S, Clairmont Rd to MLK Dr

Peak Wed, 1:30 – 3:30PM (340% over normal)

  • Houston I-10 W, Sjolander Rd to TX-330

Wed, 3:15 – 5:15PM (344% over normal) 

  • Los Angeles I-5 S, Colorado St to Florence Ave 

Wed, 3:45 – 5:45PM (385% over normal)

  • New York I-495 E, Borden Ave to Little Neck Pkwy

Wed, 2:30 – 4:30PM (482% over normal)

  • Boston I-93 N, Quincy Market to MA-28

Wed, 1:00 – 3:00PM (240% over normal)

  • Detroit I-96 W, 6 Mile Rd to Walled Lake

Wed, 2:00 – 4:00PM (211% over normal) 

  • San Francisco I-80 E, I-580 to San Pablo Dam Rd

Wed, 4:00 – 6:00PM (278% over normal) 

  • Seattle I-5 S, WA-18 to WA-7

Wed, 4:00 – 6:00PM (257% over normal)

  • Washington DC I-95 S, I-395 to VA-123

Wed, 2:00 – 4:00PM (230% over normal)

Daily Worst and Best Times to Travel

  • Wednesday 

Worst Times: 12:00 – 8:00PM

Best Times: After 9:00PM

  • Thursday

Worst Times: 12:00 – 3:00PM

Best Times: Before 11:00AM

  • Friday

Worst Times: 1:00 – 4:00PM

Best Times: Before 11:00AM

  • Saturday

Worst Times: 2:00 – 7:00PM

Best Times: Before 12:00PM

  • Sunday

Worst Times: 1:00 – 7:00PM

Best Times: Before 12:00PM