Cars and trucks travel on Interstate 5 near Olympia, Washington, in 2019. On Wednesday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration alerted drivers to the existence of “cheap, substandard replacement air bag inflators” that can fail to prevent serious injuries or death in a vehicle wreck.

Nearly 80 million people plan to travel for Thanksgiving this year, according to AAA’s projection. The group expects the traveler volume to set records, meaning you can expect a crowded journey whether you’re flying, cruising or driving.

But most people will be traveling by car, making it more important than ever to plan your trip with traffic in mind.

Thanksgiving is typically one of the busiest holidays for road trips over 50 miles. This year, nearly 72 million drivers are expected on the roads — 1.3 million more travelers than 2023, and more than the 70.6 million drivers who traveled by car for Thanksgiving 2019.

Best, worst times to drive

The best time to hit the road Thanksgiving week is the Sunday or Monday before the holiday around 8 p.m. local time, according to Google, which examined its Maps data from last Thanksgiving in more than 20 major U.S. cities.

The worst traffic is expected the Friday before Thanksgiving week, with 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. experiencing the heaviest congestion, as well as Thanksgiving Day. If you have to drive on the holiday, Google data shows it’s best to travel before 9 a.m. or after 3 p.m.

INRIX, a transportation analytics firm that partners with AAA to provide congestion projections, isn’t as wary of Thanksgiving Day driving and instead is bracing for traffic to peak nationally on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 26 and 27. If you need to travel either day, leave before 10 a.m., the company recommends.

For the trip home, Google data shows travelers can expect Black Friday traffic to be worst between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. INRIX recommends those heading back Sunday, Dec. 1, should depart before 1 p.m., and before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 2, as you’ll be dealing with both holiday travelers and regular commuters.

The worst traffic

The nation’s largest metro areas — especially New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Seattle, Chicago and Atlanta — will probably see significant increases over typical congestion, according to INRIX.

At peak on Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 26, Washington, D.C. will see a 120% increase above typical traffic, Boston 117%, New York City 133%, and Seattle 119%. Tuesday will also be the worst for traffic in Portland and San Francisco. Traffic in Los Angeles — particularly on northbound Interstate 5 — should peak on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 27, up 111% from usual.

Traffic in Atlanta, Minneapolis, Chicago and Philadelphia is projected to peak the afternoon of Sunday, Dec. 1.

Gas prices

One area where drivers should see some relief over last year: at the pump. AAA says gas prices are cheaper compared with 2023 thanks to falling oil prices, which could lower the national average below $3 a gallon by the holiday. As of Monday, the national average for gas is $3.07. Last Thanksgiving, the national average was $3.26.

To budget for your road trip, AAA recommends its TripTik travel planner, which shows gas prices along your route, as well as hotels, restaurants and attractions.

This article has been corrected. A previous version gave an incorrect percentage for the increase in traffic in New York City.