Worst Dates To Drive In Chicago Area Over Holidays: AAA Report

CHICAGO, IL — If you plan to hit the road to visit relatives or friends over the holidays, there are certain dates and times you'll want to avoid, according to an AAA report released Thursday. The worst time to be on Chicago area highways and roads will be Thursday, Dec. 21, between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., the report shows. Travel times are expected to at least double during that time period.

AAA Travel and Publishing VP Bill Sutherland said higher gas prices aren't deterring travelers this season.

“In fact, across the board this year, travel has increased year-over-year for every major holiday weekend – Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving – and we project the same for the year-end holiday period. We’ve seen the strong economy and growing consumer confidence fuel holiday travel all year long,” Sutherland said in a statement.

More than 107 million Americans will take planes, trains, vehicles and other modes of transportation during the year-end holiday period from Dec. 23 through Jan. 1, according to the AAA forecast. The worst time of day to travel during the holidays is between 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., the report shows. Another high-traffic date to avoid will be Wednesday, Dec. 20.

The 2017 holiday period is expected to have the highest year-end travel volume on record, with a 3.1 percent increase in travel volume over last year.

AAA worked with the global transportation analytics company INRIX to create the travel report, which shows that 2017 marks the ninth consecutive year of rising year-end holiday travel. Since 2005, total year-end holiday travel volume has grown by 21.6 million, an increase of more than 25 percent, according to the report.

INRIX and AAA recommend drivers avoid peak times altogether or consider alternate routes.

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