Best, Worst Thanksgiving Travel Times In Montgomery County: AAA

SILVER SPRING, MD — Traveling for Thanksgiving? Get in line.

Nearly 1.15 million Marylanders are expected to travel 50 miles or more from their homes during the Thanksgiving holiday travel weekend, a 2.2 percent increase over 2018, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. Nationally, and in Maryland, this will be the second-highest Thanksgiving travel volume since AAA began tracking in 2000, trailing only the record set in 2005.

So when is the best time to hit the road and avoid hours of traffic in Montgomery County?

The Maryland Transportation Authority urges residents to travel during off-peak hours. Between Tuesday, Nov. 26, and Sunday, Dec. 1, more than 3.4 million travelers will use MDTA highways, bridges and tunnels, a slight increase compared to last year's Thanksgiving holiday period. Based on traffic counts from previous years, Wednesday, Nov. 27, is expected to be the heaviest travel day of the week.

INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, expects Wednesday afternoon to be the worst travel period nationally, with trips taking as much at four times longer than normal in major metros.

"This Thanksgiving we will see the most Americans carving time out to visit family and friends since 2005," said Ragina C. Ali, Public and Government Affairs Manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic. "The increase in the number of travelers from Maryland taking to the roads, air and other modes of transport, mirrors the national trend."

Source: "The Worst Days and Worst Times for Washington Metro Area Thanksgiving Travelers," AAA Mid-Atlantic