AAA: More than 3 Million Ohioans Plan to Travel this Thanksgiving

 This Thanksgiving AAA estimates more than 3.2 million Ohioans will travel for the holiday – that is 2.1% more than the previous year. Of those traveling, nearly 3 million Ohioans will travel by car, more 275,000 by plane and another 94,000 are traveling by other means, which includes buses, cruises and rail. This will be the highest Thanksgiving travel volume since AAA began tracking in 2000, trailing the record set of 2.4 million in 2005.

Ohio’s Travel By Mode:

Ohio Travel	2024 Travelers	% of population traveling	% change vs. 2023
Ohio TOTALAuto, Air & Other	3,235,420	28.3%	+2.1%
Ohio Auto	2, 907,056	25.2%	+1.8%
Ohio Air	275,077	2.3%	+3.5%
Ohio Other(train, bus, cruise, etc.)	94,287	0.8%	+9.1%

The Columbus metro area is expected to be busy also as travelers get to their holiday destinations.

Columbus Metro Area:

NUMBER OF TRAVELERS	2024 Travelers	Percent change vs. 2023
Columbus Metro Area –(Franklin, Delaware, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, Fairfield) Auto, Air & Other	569,381	+1.8%
Columbus Metro Area Auto	507,012	+1.8%
Columbus Metro Area Air	46,275	+0.3%
Columbus Metro Other(train, bus, cruise, etc.)	16,096	+9.1%

Overall, nearly 80 million travelers are making plans to kick off the holiday season with a trip of 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving. The projection is an increase of 1.7 million people compared to last year and 2 million more than in 2019.The majority of holiday travelers will drive to their destinations and, INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, expects Wednesday afternoon to be the worst travel period nationally, with trips taking as much at four times longer than normal in major metros.

“Travel experts says despite the increase in some consumer goods, travel has not taken a dip,” said Kara Hitchens, AAA spokesperson. “This is translating into more travelers kicking off the holiday season with a Thanksgiving getaway.”

For the first time, AAA’s forecast includes the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving Day to better capture the flow of holiday travelers. Because many people continue in a hybrid work arrangement and many schools are on break, AAA has defined the Thanksgiving holiday period as Tuesday, November 26 to Monday, Dec. 1.

Money savings:

Gas prices are lower than last year in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and the second lowest since 2019. ^Note: Gas prices in 2020, during the pandemic, were lower.

Those planning to travel on the Ohio Turnpike, can save time and money by using the E-ZPass program. Drivers can visit one of six AAA locations across Northwest Ohio to purchase an E-ZPass Transponder. Travelers can save an average of 30 percent on their Ohio Turnpike toll with E-ZPass.

Safety first:

AAA reminds motorists before venturing to put away distractions and focus on the roads. Ohio’s distracted driving law makes it a primary offence and one that law enforcement can stop drivers and cite them. Distracted driving kills an average of nine people and injures 1,000 each day, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It is the third leading driver-related cause of crash fatalities behind speeding and driving under the influence.These numbers likely underestimate the problem because most drivers do not admit to distracting cell phone use after a crash.

AAA and its traffic safety partners remind drivers to observe the Move Over law and give those working along the roadside room to do their jobs. Move Over laws exist in all 50 states to protect first responders, law enforcement personnel, DOT workers, and tow truck operators.

Best/Worst Times to Drive and Peak Congestion by Metro

INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, says the worst times to travel by car over Thanksgiving are the Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons before the holiday. The best time to hit the road is Thanksgiving Day itself when interstates and highways are typically clear. Drivers returning home on Sunday should leave early in the morning, and those coming back on Monday should expect a mix of travelers and work commuters on the road.

“Although travel times will peak on Wednesday afternoon nationally, travelers should expect much heavier than normal congestion throughout the week,” Hitchens adds.

Overall 2024 Thanksgiving travel forecast

• Overall: There will be 1.7 million more people or 1.8% more traveling this year compared to 2023 numbers for a total of nearly 80 million people across the country.
• Automobiles: More than 71 million travelers will hit the road this Thanksgiving, the most since 2005 and 1.8% more than last year or an additional 1.3 million travelers on the road.
• Air travel will see an increase in travel volume during the Thanksgiving holiday, with 5.8 million Americans expected to fly. That’s an increase of 2% compared to 2023.
• Trains, Buses and Cruise Ships: Travel by other modes will reach nearly 2.3 million, an increase of 9% from 2023.