Here’s When To Expect Most Thanksgiving Traffic In Northern VA, DC

VIRGINIA — There are about 55 million reasons to plan ahead for Thanksgiving travel this year, according to AAA. That’s the number of people expected to travel at least 50 miles between Wednesday, Nov, 22, and Sunday, Nov. 26, including the more than 49 million expected to do so by vehicle.

This year’s Thanksgiving forecast represented an increase of 2.3 percent over last year, AAA said, and marks the third-highest Thanksgiving forecast since AAA began tracking holiday travel in 2000.

In the DC metro region, peak congestion is expected to peak around 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22 on the northbound Baltimore-Washington Parkway between Washington, D.C.. and Baltimore, AAA said. To travel that route, drivers and passengers ought to expect to spend 1 hour 13 minutes hours in the car that day, a 71 percent increase.

Drivers will encounter several traffic choke points in Virginia, according to historical traffic data. The Virginia Department of Transportation expects heavy congestion in northbound and southbound Interstate 95 in the Fredericksburg area. Higher traffic volumes tend to happen on weekdays before holidays, VDOT says. Although the data doesn't incorporate the recent extension of I-95 Express Lanes from south of Route 610/Garrisonville Road in Stafford to Route 17/Exit 133 or new northbound lanes at the Rappahannock River, heavy congestion is still likely.

The other areas anticipated to have heavy congestion include northbound Interstate 81 between Pulaski and the Rockingham area through Sunday and Interstate 64 in the Hampton Roads area due to construction activities, including the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel.

VDOT has a full travel trends map to predict the best and worst travel times around the major roadways.

Overall, the busiest day to drive will be Wednesday, Nov. 22, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. For those looking to reduce their time in traffic, the best time to drive that day will be before 11 a.m.

Here are the best — and worst — overall times to drive, according to AAA.

Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 23

• Worst: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
• Best: Before 10 a.m. or after 5 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 24

• Worst: Noon - 4 p.m.
• Best: Before 11 a.m. or after 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 25

• Worst: 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
• Best: Before noon

Sunday, Nov. 26

• Worst: 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
• Best: Before noon

Two metro areas can expect to spend about four hours behind the wheel this holiday season: Atlanta and Houston. Meanwhile, Detroit and San Francisco families can expect to spend at least three hours in the car.

“For many Americans, Thanksgiving and travel go hand in hand, and this holiday, we expect more people on the roads, skies, and seas compared to 2022,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement Monday. “Travel demand has been strong all year, and AAA’s Thanksgiving forecast reflects that continued desire to get away and spend time with loved ones.”

To help with busier roads, VDOT will suspend many highway work zones and lane closures on interstates and major roads from noon on Wednesday, Nov. 22 until noon on Monday, Nov. 27. Semi-permanent work zones may remain during this time.

In Northern Virginia, I-66 Inside the Beltway rush hours tolls will be lifted on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 23. Reversible lane schedules may be impacted on the I-95 and I-395 Express Lanes during the holiday travel period.

In Hampton Roads, HOV restrictions and Express Lanes tolls will be lifted on Thursday, Nov. 23 on the I-64/I-264/I-564 HOV Diamond Lanes and 64 Express Lanes. During the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion Project, VDOT encourages drivers going between the Hampton Roads Peninsula and Southside to use alternate routes like the I-664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel, the Route 17 James River Bridge, the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry or I-95.

This year, people are generally paying less for domestic travel compared to last year, and more on international vacations, AAA said. The one notable exception is airplane tickets, which are slightly pricier for domestic flights this season and a bit lower for international flights.

The average price for a domestic flight is $681, according to AAA. That’s up 5 percent from 2022. However, domestic hotel prices are down 12 percent from last year to an average stay of $598.