Thanksgiving Travel: Best, Worst Times To Hit Road In Philly Area

PHILADELPHIA, PA — In the Philadelphia area, nearly 665,000 people will be traveling for turkey day this year, going more than 50 miles away from home to celebrate Thanksgiving. That's according to AAA Mid-Atlantic, which pays close attention to how folks get around.

The auto club predicts a 3 percent increase in travel over 2018 for the Thanksgiving travel period, which is defined as Wednesday, Nov. 27, through Sunday, Dec. 1. That's the highest volume of travel for the holiday since 2005.

It also means that the highways and roads around Philadelphia are going to get jam-packed with traffic.

According to AAA, the busiest time on the Philly region's roads will be afternoon and early evening on Wednesday, Nov. 27, and Sunday, Dec. 1. On Wednesday afternoon, when commuters mix with holiday travelers, trips may take as much as four times longer than usual, according to AAA.

Instead, the auto club advises Thanksgiving drivers to travel during off-peak times — like early morning or later in the afternoon.

Nationally, AAA projects more than 55 million Americans will be traveling for Thanksgiving 2019, a 2.9 percent increase over last year. The national number also is the biggest since 2005.

"A strong economy and labor market are generating higher wages and more disposable income, enabling more confident consumers to spend on travel this holiday season," said AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman Jana L. Tidwell. "The increase in the number of travelers from the Philadelphia area taking to the roads, air and other modes of transport mirrors the national trend."

Some other facts about Philadelphia-area driving for Thanksgiving 2019:

• 89 percent of Philly travelers — 590,000 — will be traveling by car
• The five-county Philadelphia area gas price average is $2.75 (as of Wednesday), the same as last year
• Nearly 62,000 area travelers will do so by airplane, a 4.9 percent increase over last year

Nationally, airfares for Thanksgiving 2019 will increase seven percent over last year (for the top 40 domestic flight routes), with an average round-trip ticket costing $175, AAA said.

Rental cars, however, are going for 20 percent less than in 2018 ($75/day) and hotel rates have decreased five percent, to an average nightly rate of $158 for AAA three-diamond rated hotels.

AAA also is reminding drivers that this will mark the last Thanksgiving travel season before federal REAL ID enforcement begins. Pennsylvanians who want to continue using their driver's license or photo ID as identification to board domestic flights must upgrade to a REAL ID-compliant version before enforcement begins on Oct 1., 2020.

RELATED: REAL ID Now Available In Pennsylvania: What To Know