Over 2 million Marylanders expected to travel for the holidays thanks to low gas prices

BALTIMORE -- Nearly 2.3 million Marylanders are expected to travel over the holidays, motor club AAA predicts, with most of them hitting the roads thanks to low gas prices. 

The travelers prediction is a two percent increase over last year, and the third highest travel volume for the holiday behind 2019 and 2017, the club said. 

AAA said almost 90% of Maryland travelers - over 2 million Marylanders -  plan to drive, and they'll have a gift at the pumps. Gas prices are the lowest they've been all year, with the state-wide average at $3.10 a gallon as of Sunday. 

"It's not under the tree, but drivers are finding a present in the form of lower gas prices this holiday season," said Ragina Cooper Ali, a local spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic. "If pump prices continue to decline, it is likely that the national average will slide below $3 per gallon by the end of the year."   

As for the rest, the club said 132,000 will take to the skies, while about 100,000 more will take a bus, train or other mode of transportation. 

"AAA has seen a strong demand for travel throughout the year, and the end-of-year holiday is no exception," Ali said. "Whether people are hitting the road to share the holiday with friends and family, or planning a more elaborate vacation, there seems to be little discouraging them from getting away."

AAA defines the holiday travel period from Saturday, December 23 to Monday, January 1.