A whopping 81.8 million U.S. residents are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the Thanksgiving holiday period from Tuesday, November 25, to Monday, December 1, according to AAA.

That’s an additional 1.6 million travelers compared to last year, setting a new overall record.

Thanksgiving is already the single busiest holiday for travel compared to others like Memorial Day and July 4.

“Thanksgiving travel numbers are always impressive because this holiday has become synonymous with heading out of town to spend time with loved ones,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. “People are willing to brave the crowds and make last-minute adjustments to their plans to make lifelong memories, whether it’s visiting extended family or meeting up with friends.”

AAA projects that at least 73 million people will travel by car, nearly 90 percent of whom will be Thanksgiving travelers, and an additional 1.3 million people on the road compared to last Thanksgiving. That number could end up being higher if some air travelers decide to drive instead of flying following recent flight cancellations.

For travelers renting cars, AAA car rental partner Hertz says Wednesday is expected to be the busiest pickup day.

The top 5 markets with the highest demand are Orlando, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Newark.

According to AAA booking data, domestic car rentals are 15 percent cheaper this year compared to last year.

At the pump, drivers are paying about the same as last year, when the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.06 on Thanksgiving Day.

Six million U.S. travelers are expected to take domestic flights over the Thanksgiving holiday period, a 2 percent increase compared to 2024, according to AAA. That figure could end up being slightly lower as some air travelers make other plans following recent flight cancellations.

The number of Thanksgiving air travelers over the past several years – except 2020 – has been between 5 and 6 million.

A round-trip domestic flight averages $700, similar to last year.

It’s cheaper to fly on Thanksgiving Day itself, but the flight home is what drives up the ticket price since Sunday and Monday are the busiest return days.

Travel by other modes is expected to increase by 8.5 percent to nearly 2.5 million people. Those travelers are taking trips by bus, train, and cruise.

Buses and trains could see an uptick in last-minute bookings this year, the travel assistance association said.

Florida tops the list for most popular domestic destination. The top international spots include Europe, the Caribbean, and Australia.

INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, expects Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon to be the most congested periods before Thanksgiving Day.

Travelers returning home on Sunday should expect heavy traffic most of the day. Drivers should hit the road in the morning to avoid the worst backups.