AAA: 3 million Floridians to travel for the holiday, most by car
Nearly 22 million people live in Florida. According to AAA, three million of them will travel 50 miles or more during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period, defined as Wednesday, Nov. 22 to Sunday, Nov. 26.
That’s the highest number of travelers since 2001, and 3% more than last year.
Unlike Christmas, when people tend to fly to family destinations, about 90 percent of travelers (2.77 million Floridians) this year will hit the roads — meaning, if you’re one of them, pack some patience along with the sweet potato casserole and that holiday sweater.
“Travel demand has been strong all year and that trend will continue with one of the busiest Thanksgivings on record,” said Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “With more people taking to the roads, skies, rails and sea; travelers should expect congested roads and longer lines at transportation terminals. AAA encourages travelers to develop their plan now, leave early, and be courteous to others.”
This year’s forecasted auto travel volume in Florida is 10,000 shy of the all-time high, set during the 2005 Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The highest traffic congestion is expected between 2-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 22.
The thought of all this may make you cringe like you got a cold helping of gravy, but at least Thanksgiving road trips should be less costly at the gas pump this year. Despite global tensions making for a skittish worldwide oil market, strong domestic gasoline supplies are causing pump prices to drop. Last Thanksgiving, the national average price for gasoline was $3.41 per gallon in Florida; they started this week at $3.18, and $3.15 in Osceola County.. And, AAA says gas prices should remain low through the holiday season unless oil prices suddenly spike. (Visit GasPrices.AAA.com to view updated price averages in different locales.)
That’s not to say airports like Orlando International won’t be busy. AAA expects nearly 210,000 Floridians to fly for Thanksgiving. That’s nearly 6% more than 2022, and the second highest air travel volume in 15 years, behind 2019, with air travel now fully back to pre-pandemic levels.
Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving are the busiest air travel days ahead of the holiday and the most expensive. While Sunday is typically the busiest day to return home, AAA data shows Monday is also a popular day to fly back after Thanksgiving.
Nationwide, more than 55.3 million Americans are forecast to travel for Thanksgiving, AAA said. It's the third-largest travel volume on record, with nearly 1.3 million (2.3%) more than last year, yet fewer than 2019 and 2005 levels.
Data from AAA — The Auto Club was used in this report.
