Nearly 120 Million Americans to Travel During Year-End Holidays Says AAA

Nearly 120 million Americans plan to travel 50 miles or more from their home for the year-end holidays, according to AAA. The organization is projecting 119.3 million Americans will start their travels from December 21st through Wednesday, January 1st. The number of travelers is up around 3 million from last year and beats the all time record by 64,000 that was set in 2019.

“This is the time of year when lifelong memories are made with loved ones, and travel plays a big role in that,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “This year, with Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday, we’re anticipating record-breaking travel numbers the weekend before and the weekend after the holiday.”

Of that nearly 120 million travelers, 107 million are expected to travel via automobile; air travel is projected at 7.85 million travelers with the remaining 4.47 million using other means of travel such as trains. 

“Many travelers, particularly families with young children, prefer the flexibility and lower cost that road trips provide. This holiday season, gas prices are lower than last year, when the national average was around $3.12 in the last two weeks of 2023. Gas demand in December goes down as the weather gets colder, more people work remotely, and holiday shoppers purchase their gifts online versus in person.” AAA said in a release.

The worst time to travel by car between Thursday, December 19th and Monday, December 23rd is the afternoon hours and into the evening. AAA says the best timing to avoid traffic and/or delays is to leave before 11am. Following the Christmas holiday, still, the best time to travel will be the morning hours.