Near-Record Christmas And New Year’s Travel: When To Get Out Of VA, DC

WASHINGTON, DC — If you can manage it, plan your holiday travel to miss 3:45 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 29, when traffic is expected to be 67 percent more congested than usual on the southbound Baltimore Washington Parkway, according to AAA’s Christmas and New Year’s travel forecast released Monday for 2023.

That's the worst congestion spot for the DC metro region, according to a holiday travel forecast. AAA worked with transportation data insights company INRIX to determine the best and worst times to get out of town for the 10-day Christmas through New Year's Day holiday period. Saturday, Dec. 23, and Thursday, Dec. 28, are expected to be the worst across the U.S.

“Nationwide, drivers could see travel times up to 20% longer this holiday season. In major metros, especially in Denver, Minneapolis, and Washington, DC, drivers could experience nearly double the typical delays,” Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, said in a news release. “Avoid peak commuting hours and use traffic apps, local DOT notifications, and 511 services to minimize holiday travel traffic frustrations.”

Of the projected 115.2 million people traveling for the holidays this year, some 104 million people are expected to drive — up 1.8 over 2022, and the second-highest end-of-the-year travel projection on record, AAA said.

In the DC metro region, AAA projects 2.8 million residents will travel 50 or more miles during the Christmas holiday, including more than 2.5 million hitting the roads. That travel forecast would be above the 2.7 million DC metro residents that traveled for the 2022 holiday, including more than 2.4 million traveling by car.

"AAA has seen a strong demand for travel throughout the year, and the end-of-year holiday is no exception," said Ragina Cooper Ali, a spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic. "Whether people are hitting the road to share the holiday with friends and family, or planning a more elaborate vacation, there seems to be little discouraging them from getting away."

For Virginia-specific information on worst travel times and areas of congestion, see the Virginia Department of Transportation's travel trends map. VDOT expects several areas of heavy congestion based on two-year travel patterns and pre-pandemic numbers.

This includes northbound and southbound Interstate 95 in the Fredericksburg area, which does not account for the recent opening of the Express Lanes extension. VDOT also expects heavy congestion on northbound and southbound I-395 in the Arlington area, northbound and southbound I-77 near the Big Walker Tunnel on the Friday morning before Christmas, and I-64 in Hampton Roads due to lane closures during construction.

VDOT will suspend many highway work zones and most lane closures on interstates and major roads in Virginia from noon on Dec. 22 to noon on Dec. 26 and noon on Dec. 29 to noon on Jan. 2. In Northern Virginia, rush-hour tolls on the I-66 Express Lanes inside the Beltway will be lifted on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. In Hampton Roads, HOV restrictions and Express Lanes tolls will be lifted on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 on I-64/I-264/I-564 HOV Diamond Lanes and 64 Express Lanes. Drivers traveling between the Hampton Roads Peninsula and Southside during the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion Project are encouraged to use the I-664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel, the Route 17 James River Bridge, the free Jamestown-Scotland Ferry or I-95 to avoid delays.

Real-time traffic information across Virginia is available at 511Virginia.org or by calling 511.

Gas prices are similar to the 2022 holiday period, when the national average on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day was $3.10 and $3.20 a gallon, respectively. Right now, the average gas price in Virginia is $2.96 a gallon, while DC's average gas price is $3.27.

Overall, the best and worst times to travel are:

Saturday, Dec. 23

• Best times: Before 10 a.m.
• Worst times: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 24

• Minimal traffic disruption is expected

Monday, Dec. 25

• Minimal traffic disruption is expected

Tuesday, Dec. 26

• Best times: Before noon
• Worst times: 1-5 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec 27

• Best times: Before noon
• Worst times: 1-7 p.m.

Thursday, Dec 28

• Best times: Before noon
• Worst times: 2-8 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 29

• Best times: Before noon
• Worst times: 2-8 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 30

• Best times: Before 10 a.m.
• Worst times: 5-7 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 31

• Minimal traffic disruption is expected

Monday, Jan. 1

• Minimal traffic disruption is expected

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