Half A Million Residents To Travel In Philly Area Over Thanksgiving: AAA

PHILADELPHIA PA -- More than half a million Philadelphia-area residents are expected to be traveling this Thanksgiving holiday, and the vast majority of those will be traveling by car, according to estimates from AAA Mid-Atlantic.

Nationally, 48.7 million are expected to be traveling, which is a one million increase over 2015 and the largest amount of people that have hit the roads for the holiday since 2007.

In the Philadelphia area, AAA says that 569,000 residents will travel 50 miles or more for the holiday, and eighty-nine percent of those are expected to travel by car.

“This Thanksgiving, we will see the most Americans carving out time to visit friends and family since 2007,” said Jana L. Tidwell, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Most Philadelphia-area residents will take a tried and true holiday road trip, thanks to gas prices that are holding just under $2.40 per gallon.”

The five county area includes Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, Chester, and Philadelphia counties.

AAA estimates that Philadelphia is among the top ten destinations for Thanksgiving travel nationwide, coming in at ninth overall. Western cities Las Vegas, San Francisco, and San Diego take the first three spots.

Increased travel in the Philadelphia region is thanks to an improving economy and reduced gas prices, according to AAA. Travel volume has been increasing in the area steadily for eight consecutive years, statistics show.

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