AAA said more than 1.7 million people from Michigan are expected to travel over the Thanksgiving weekend.
According to the agency, 1.74 million Michiganders are expected to travel, which is a 2.6% increase over last year and the third-highest number of people on record.
Across the country, AAA projects 55.4 million Americans will travel, which makes it the third-highest Thanksgiving forecast on record.
“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.”
According to the agency, 1.51 million are expected to travel by car, with another 178,896 by air and 50,415 in other forms of transportation.
Last year, 1.7 million traveled for Thanksgiving, slightly up from 1.68 million in 2021 but still fewer than the 1.78 million in 2019.
AAA reports that Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving are the busiest air travel days of the holiday and the most expensive. Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving are popular days to fly back.
According to INRIX, which provides transportation data and insights, Wednesday, Nov. 22 will be the busiest day on the roads for Thanksgiving. They recommend leaving after 6 p.m. to avoid the heaviest traffic.
