Thanksgiving Travel In Reston: 4 Things You Need To Know

It's time to get behind the wheel if you're headed out of town for Thanksgiving and driving. If you've ever had to drive during the holiday before, you know it's an especially busy one for travel, and that means traffic jams and all sorts of travel-related headaches. Here's four key things to know before you head out on the road in Reston to make your trip a little bit easier -- or at least make you more prepared.

1. Will it be a busy Thanksgiving travel season?

Oh, will it. A lot of people are going to be on Virginia roads, especially starting Tuesday. AAA predicts that 1.4 million people in Virginia will travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving, which is a 3.2 percent increase over last year. Even worse news: this Thanksgiving will see the highest travel volume since 2007.

“This Thanksgiving weekend more Virginians will travel to spend time with friends and family this year,” said Georjeane Blumling, Vice President of Public Affairs for AAA Tidewater Virginia, according to a WTKR report. “A strong economy and labor market are generating rising incomes and higher consumer confidence, fueling a strong year for the travel industry, which will continue into the holiday season.”

2. When will people be on the roads?

The holiday travel period runs from Wednesday, Nov. 22 to Sunday, Nov. 26, but expect it to be busy on Tuesday as well. The highest congestion will be during the late afternoon drive between 3:00 and 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday. So if you do travel, it's probably best to drive late at night or early in the morning.

3. How expensive is gas?

Gas prices are the highest they've been in three years, which isn't deterring travelers.

According to GasBuddy, the average price per gallon in D.C. is about $2.75, which is well above the national average of $2.54. The average price throughout the state of Virginia is $2.31.

4. Where are the bottlenecks in the D.C. area, and how can I avoid them?

Besides the obvious spots near D.C. -- like anywhere on I-66 or I-95 or Route 50 east of D.C. -- there are some trouble spots you'll want to watch for.

Interstate 81 is a popular route for folks heading down to the South to visit family, but that can be pretty clogged through much of Virginia. You can try instead taking Route 29 south from Gainesville Va. until you hit Route 460 west and rejoin I-81 at Roanoke.

You can avoid I-66 altogether by taking I-95 south to Route 3 west in Fredericksburg, and then take Route 20, Route 15, and Route 231 to I-64 near Charlottesville, which will join you up with I-81.

If you're headed Northeast to the New York area, you can bypass I-95, which is most assuredly going to be a total mess this week. At Baltimore, take I-83 north to Harrisburg, and jump on I-78 east, which will take you to I-287 and then onto I-80 near New York City.

Image via Pixabay