Bay Area Thanksgiving Traffic 2019: Worst Times To Drive

BAY AREA, CA — If you're planning to hit this road this Thanksgiving holiday, you could be joining 49.3 million motorists nationwide — the most since 2005 and 2.8 percent more than last year, according to the American Automobile Association.

In the Bay Area, AAA reports the worst time to hit the highway will be Wednesday, Nov. 27, especially between the hours of 2-4 p.m., when traffic will be heaviest and motorists should expect trips to take 3.2 times longer as commuters mix with travelers.

“With record levels of travelers, and persistent population growth in the country’s major metropolitan areas, drivers must prepare for major delays,” said Trevor Reed, transportation analyst at INRIX. “Although travel times will peak on Wednesday afternoon nationally, travelers should expect much heavier than normal congestion throughout the week.”

When accounting for all travel — autos, planes, trains, buses and cruise ships — the number of Thanksgiving travelers is expected to be more than 55 million, according to AAA.

"This will be the second-highest Thanksgiving travel volume since AAA began tracking in 2000, trailing only the record set in 2005. Overall, an additional 1.6 million more people will travel compared with last year, a 2.9 percent increase," AAA reported.

With 4.6 percent growth, air travel will see the biggest increase in travel volume during the Thanksgiving holiday this year, with 4.45 million Americans expected to fly, according to AAA.

If flying is your mode of travel, he's something to consider for next year, courtesy of AAA: The best way to beat the airport rush is to fly the Monday before Thanksgiving.

Or, you can just forget the forecasts, the planning, and stay home for the holiday!