Thanksgiving Travel Forecast 2022: Best Time To Travel In Philly Area

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and it's never too early to make travel plans on one of the busiest weeks of the year.

The greater Philadelphia area will see enormous activity from motorists over Thanksgiving week, and some 54.6 million travelers are expected to travel on the holiday nationwide this year. Some 49 million Americans will travel by car, according to AAA.

Here are the potential trouble spots in the Philadelphia area and when they’ll be the busiest:

• I-295 S @ I-76/Exit 26 (Camden County, NJ)
• I-76 E @ Belmont Avenue/Exit 338 (Montgomery County)
• I-76 W @ PA-320.Gulph Road/Exit 330 (Montgomery County
• I-76 W @ Montgomery Drive/Exit 341 (Philadelphia County)
• I-95 S @ US-322/Exit 2/Exit 3 (Delaware County)
• I-476 N @ US-1/Exit 5 (Delaware County)
• PA-309 S @ Stump Road (Montgomery County)
• US-202 N @ US-1/Baltimore Pike (Delaware County)
• I-95 N @ Aramingo Avenue/Richmond Street (Philadelphia County)
• I-476 S @ I-95 (Delaware County)

In general, the best and worst times to be on the road are:

• Wednesday, Nov. 23 — worst times,1 a.m.-8 p.m.; best times, before 8 a.m., after 8 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov 24 — worst times, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; best times, before 11 a.m., after 6 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 25 — worst times, 4-8 pm.; best times, before 11 a.m., after 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 26 — worst times, 4-8 pm.; best times, before 2 p.m., after 8 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 27 — worst times, 4-8 p.m.; best times, before 11 a.m., after 8 p.m.

Some drivers could experience more than double the amount of time stuck in traffic during peak travel times, AAA's data partner Inrix said.

2022 is expected to be the third-busiest year in history since 2000 for Thanksgiving travel, approaching 98 percent of pre-pandemic levels, AAA said.

Although most will travel by car, about 4.5 million Americans plan to fly to their Thanksgiving destinations. That marks an increase of 8 percent, or 333,000 more travelers, from 2021. Similarly, air travel is expected to be within 99 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

It’s a good idea to leave for the airport early. Long lines are likely at TSA checkpoints and, “if possible, avoid checking a bag to allow for more flexibility if flights are delayed, or you need to reschedule,” AAA said.

The number of people traveling by bus, train, or cruiseline is up by 23 percent from last year, reaching 96 percent of the 2019 volume.