Best, Worst Thanksgiving Travel Times Around Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH, PA - Hitting the road for Thanksgiving but dreading the get-out-of-town traffic jams that make traveling torture? Google might be able to help.

Google has mapped out traffic trends for major cities, including Pittsburgh, and has advice on the best and worst times to start your journey. You might not like the recommendations, though, as they involve hitting the highway at an early hour.

Based on last year’s Thanksgiving traffic patterns, the best time to leave Pittsburgh is 5 a.m. on Thursday. It might seem counterintuitive, but the worst time to leave is 4 p.m. on Wednesday because that’s when traffic will be at its peak.

For your return trip, Google suggests not overstaying your welcome at Grandma’s. The best time to begin driving back to Pittsburgh is Friday at 4 a.m. The worst time? Sunday at 3 p.m.

For determining traffic conditions, Google considered the Thanksgiving holiday period to start Wednesday and end the Sunday. Google analyzed the total number of cars on the road at a given time, as determined by the speed and location of Android phones that have location services enabled.

Photo via Pixabay.