Thanksgiving 2019: Philadelphia Holiday Travel Expected To Reach Highest Volume Since 2005
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Turkey Day is a week away and AAA expects Philadelphia roadways to be extra stuffed this year. AAA says nearly 665,000 Delaware Valley residents are expected to travel at least 50 miles from their homes for Thanksgiving this year.
The estimated 664,565 travelers would be a 3.1% increase from 2018 and the highest in the area since 2005. It's the 11th straight year for travel volume growth.
Traveling is expected to be at its worse on Wednesday. AAA says trips on Wednesday will take as much as four times longer than normal.
The best time to travel during the holidays is off-peak times, AAA suggests. Think early morning and late at night. Afternoon and early evening travel on Wednesday are not suggested. The same goes for the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Most of the traveling in the Philly area is expected to be by car (89%).
AAA expects the second-highest travel volume nationally, with more than 55 million -- a 2.9% increase from 2018.
The Thanksgiving travel period is a five-day window beginning the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (Nov. 27) and ending Dec. 1.
For more on AAA's Thanksgiving travel tips, click here.
