Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


It’s going to be a very busy Thanksgiving holiday travel period both out on the road and up in the air.

AAA expects record-setting travel numbers for Thanksgiving. Nearly 2.6 million Michiganders are forecast to travel 50 miles or more for the holiday. That’s an all-time high for Thanksgiving and 65,000 more travelers than last year. AAA is also forecasting record numbers for national travel during the holiday.

AAA Michigan Spokeswoman Adrienne Woodland tells WHMI numbers are being driven by economic growth, declining inflation, and strong income gains – which is expected to boost consumer spending by about 4.6%, compared to this time last year.

Woodland says Thanksgiving air travel is also expected to set a new record, both nationwide and in Michigan. She says road travel is still the most popular, and will also likely be setting new records in Michigan. AAA is projecting nearly 2.3 million Michiganders will take a road trip over the Thanksgiving holiday – with about 50,000 more people on the road than last year. Gas prices are also expected to be slightly lower this Thanksgiving season, compared to 2023.

Woodland noted that generally, the worst times to travel by vehicle will be this Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. She said one of the best times to hit the road is actually on Thanksgiving Day itself, when interstates and highways are typically clear.

Nationally, AAA is expecting around 71 (m) million people to hit the road and the Auto Club expects to rescue more than 570,000 experiencing vehicle trouble. The most common calls are typically flat tires, dead batteries, and lock-outs.

Woodland says they advise motorists to “not let car trouble be the reason you miss Thanksgiving dinner” and get vehicles inspected beforehand to make sure everything is working properly before hitting the road.

More information and travel numbers are available in the attached release.