Here Are The Busiest Days Of The Year At O'Hare And Midway

CHICAGO, IL — The Federal Aviation Administration recently released data revealing the busiest days for travel out of Chicago's two airports, and the highest-traffic days might surprise you. With many Illinois residents planning to head out of state to visit family for Thanksgiving and Christmas, you might think the holiday season is the busiest time of year at O'Hare and Midway.

But summertime seems to be the hottest time for travel, according to the FAA, which analyzed 12 months' worth of data, starting on Oct. 1, 2016 through Sept. 30, 2017. Three days — all during the summer months — saw the highest rate of travel out of both Chicago airports: July 25, July 27 and Aug. 17.

Over the 12-month time period, O'Hare had 11 days with more than 2,700 flights, and all those days fell in June, July or August. O'Hare ranked as the second-busiest airport for 4th of July travel, coming in just behind Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

The 13 busiest days at O'Hare all fell within the summer months, with these dates ranking as the busiest:

• July 27: 2,738 flights
• June 29: 2,733 flights
• Aug. 17: 2,721 flights

Busy travelers might may avoid longer lines by choosing to fly out of Midway, but the data there told a similar story, with one exception. Midway's busiest day of the year fell on Nov. 3, 2016, with 904 flights that day. The three busiest days were:

• Nov. 3, 2016: 904 flights
• June 15: 884 flights
• June 8: 872

While summer holidays are busier travel times at Chicago's airports, Thanksgiving and Christmas will mean tons of traffic on Illinois roadways. Thanksgiving is the most-traveled holiday of the year, according to AAA. Last year, 2.3 million Illinois residents hit the road for their Thanksgiving travel, while 182,000 flew to their destinations. From the Wednesday before Thanksgiving through the following Monday, an estimated nine million vehicles traveled on Illinois toll roads.

Based on Google Maps data, these were the best and worst times to hit the road for holiday travel:

• Best day to leave: The best time to hit the road has already passed, according to Google. Drivers were recommended to hit the road on the Sunday before Thanksgiving at 6 a.m. for a smooth trip.
• Worst day to leave: Wednesday. If you have to leave on Wednesday, your best bet is to hit the road at 7 a.m. and avoid driving around 4 p.m.
• Best day to return: The day after Thanksgiving (Friday). If you can leave the day after Thanksgiving, your best bet is to hit the road at 6 a.m. Avoid traveling around 4 p.m. when traffic is at its worst.
• Worst day to return: The Saturday after Thanksgiving: If you have to return on Saturday, leave by 6 a.m. and avoid traveling around 4 p.m. when traffic is at its worst.

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Photo: Passengers walk inside Terminal 3 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Friday, Dec. 20, AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh