Thanksgiving Travel Rush: What You Need to Know and When to Hit the Road in the Chicago Area

Chicago-area roadways are expected to be jam-packed this holiday weekend.

AAA is projecting 48.7 million Americans, including 2.5 million Illinois residents, will travel this Thanksgiving, which would be the most Thanksgiving travelers since 2007. In Illinois, nearly 2.3 million residents will be driving, and 182,000 plan to fly to their destinations.

This year’s increase in Thanksgiving travel is spurred by improvements in the economy during the second half of the year, including rising wages, increased consumer spending and overall strength in consumer confidence.

“This is the most traveled holiday of the year, and as usual, there is an emphasis on road trips,” said Joseph J. Richardson Jr., president and CEO of AAA. “If you are one of the 43.5 million people on the road, we urge you to be patient in traffic and limit distractions while behind the wheel.”

Here is what else you need to know if you are traveling.

On the Highways

• The Illinois Tollway anticipates nearly 9 million vehicles will travel the Tollway system this Thanksgiving weekend from Wednesday, Nov. 23, through Monday, Nov. 28. The heaviest travel is expected on Wednesday, when more than 1.8 million vehicles are projected to be on the 292-mile Tollway system. On an average day, about 1.6 million vehicles use the Illinois Tollway.
• There were 17 fatalities in Illinois over the holiday weekend last year, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. Police officers across the state will be out in full force this week to watch out for drunken drivers and seat belt violators. There will be DUI checkpoints across the state and increased enforcement.
• The Illinois Tollway website has some helpful tools for travelers, including real-time traffic information to Trip Tweets for incident information on each of the five toll roads to I-PASS account management tools. One useful resource is the Trip Calculator. Tollway customers can use Trip Calculator to determine in advance how much they will pay in tolls along a designated route or use the pay online feature to identify and pay for any missed tolls to avoid violations. You can also check for travel times, roadway incidents, construction and roadway congestion on the TravelMidwest.com website and our Live Traffic Reports Map below.

When is the Best Time To Leave?

Google looked at historical Google Maps traffic data to let drivers know when the best and worst times are to hit the road for the Thanksgiving holiday.

• 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.

LIVE TRAFFIC REPORTS

The map below shows heavy traffic in red, medium traffic in yellow and open roads in green. Construction spots are noted with icons.

On the Railways

• Metra will modify schedules on most lines Wednesday, Nov. 23 to help customers get an early start on their Thanksgiving plans. Trains have been added, combined or cancelled as part of Wednesday’s schedule. The full list of changes is attached to this release and can be found at metrarail.com.
• On Thanksgiving, trains will operate on a Sunday/Holiday schedule, which means there will be no service on the Heritage Corridor and SouthWest Service lines. Regular weekday service will resume the Friday after Thanksgiving to accommodate Black Friday shoppers, with the exception of Metra’s BNSF Line. The BNSF will operate additional inbound midday trains Friday and adjust the schedule for outbound afternoon trains. A schedule can be found at metrarail.com.
• A special $8 unlimited ride holiday pass for use on both Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday will be available for Metra riders. The regular $8 Weekend Pass will be available for Saturday and Sunday. Mobile versions of both passes are available on the Ventra App.

At the Airports

A strike by O’Hare airport workers, originally scheduled for the day after Thanksgiving, has been pushed back to Nov. 29, which could save travelers some headaches while flying this holiday weekend.

• MORE ON PATCH: O'Hare Workers Will Strike But Not Until After Thanksgiving
  

But O’Hare International Airport is still expected to be the busiest airport on Thanksgiving Day, which could provide for some lines and delays.

Google Maps trends data suggests the only significant traffic travelers will see going to O’Hare on Thanksgiving is if you’re coming from Milwaukee around 3 p.m. Travelers are encouraged to get to the airport there before then to avoid a commute that’s nearly twice as bad.

• More on Patch: O’Hare Expected to be Busiest Airport This Thanksgiving

Best Gas Prices

The map below uses the location tied to your internet service provider. If the map is not local, type your ZIP code or town and state in the search box and press return.

Construction on Tollways

To accommodate increased Thanksgiving holiday travel on the Illinois Tollway, most construction activity will be restricted to better serve Tollway customers. Most temporary maintenance and construction lane closures will be suspended from noon on Wednesday, Nov. 23, through 9 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 28. Some work may continue behind barriers to keep work on schedule.

Areas where work zones will continue to be in place during the holiday include:

Jane Adams Memorial Tollway (I-90)

• Between the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) and the Elgin Toll Plaza, work is wrapping up for the I-90 Rebuilding and Widening Project.
• Four lanes are open in both directions between Roselle Road to just east of Arlington Heights Road and also between the Elgin Toll Plaza and Beverly Road.
• Three lanes are open in both directions between Beverly Road and Roselle Road and from just east of Arlington Heights Road to Mannheim Road.
• The new Meacham Road Interchange is open with a westbound exit ramp and a westbound entrance ramp.
• A new eastbound exit ramp is now open at the Roselle Road Interchange.

Illinois Route 390 Tollway

• Work continues on the Illinois Route 390 Tollway with construction along Thorndale Avenue from from I-290 to York Road and on the I-290 Interchange. Traffic is shifted onto frontage roads in both directions between I-290 and York Road.

Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88)

• Between U.S. Route 30 in Rock Falls and Chicago Avenue (U.S. Route 52) near Dixon, traffic is reduced to one lane in both directions.

Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355)

• Between 63rd Street and 75th Street, traffic is shifted on I-355 and on the ramps from southbound I-355 to 75th Street.