Seasonal & Holidays
Best, Worst Thanksgiving Travel Times In The Twin Cities
You likely won't be surprised to hear that Interstate 494 will not be a pretty sight Wednesday afternoon.
TWIN CITIES, MN — Planning to hit the road for Thanksgiving, but dreading the traffic that goes along with that on Minnesota's packed roads? Google wants to help.
The Web services giant has mapped out traffic and search trends for major cities, including the Twin Cities metro and has some advice on the best, and worst, times to hit the road this year. Much like trying to make it out of the Interstate 494/694 loop on a cabin Friday in the summer, the best times to leave are in the early morning.
On your way out of town, Google suggests the best time to leave will be 5 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, according to the company's results. The worst time? Traffic is going to be a turkey if you leave around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Google says.
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When you're on your way home, an early start on Friday is your best bet, which doesn't give you much time at grandmother's house. Get going at 4 a.m. on Friday and you'll be in good shape. Wait until Friady at 3 p.m., though, and a stuffing-and-cranberries hangover won't be your only problem.
The rest of the country follows similar trends. According to Google, late Wednesday afternoon will be the busiest time on the road, while Thanksgiving morning will be the best. If you can't leave Saturday morning, early Sunday may be your next best bet. Avoid both Friday and Saturday afternoons though, Google says.
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Google, of course, is also keeping an eye on what folks are searching for online during the holiday season. In Baltimore, the top search categories during the Thanksgiving season have been — food and drinks, such as bakeries and where to buy wine, plus entertainment, such as movie-theater information.
Nationwide, the searches that spike around Thanksgiving, according to Google, are pretty easy to figure out — ham shops, outlet malls, tree farms, natural features and electronics stores.
To see more, check out Google's Mapping Thanksgiving page.
Deb Belt, Patch National Staff contributed to this report
Photo credit: AP Photo/Dawn Villella
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