By the numbers: Expect record-breaking travel for Thanksgiving

More than 54 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving, the highest volume since 2005, the American Automobile Association says in a new report.

Why it matters: 2.5 million more people are traveling than last year, and the roads will get the brunt of those Turkey Day travelers. For the nearly 90% of Americans driving to Turkey Day, INRIX, a global mobility analytics company, predicts travel times in the most congested cities in the U.S. could be as much as four times longer than a normal trip — worse than last year.

What's new: Cities down south are becoming more popular the past few years for Thanksgiving travel destinations. Punta Cana, Dallas/Fort Worth and Miami are all gaining popularity as holiday spots.

By the numbers: AAA predicts drivers will experience the greatest amount of traffic congestion during Thanksgiving week from Wednesday through Sunday.

• The majority of travelers — 48.5 million — will drive this Thanksgiving, a 5% bump from last year. Car rentals are in favor of drivers this year, too: averaging $63 a day, 10% less than last year, according to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index.
• Expect long security lines in airports across the country. More than 4.2 million people will fly to their destinations this year, a 5.4% increase over last year — a bigger jump than any other category of travel. Travelers who bought one to two months in advance paid an average of $478 roundtrip.

One layover thing: Airlines and airports are giving flyers more non-stop flights for the upcoming holiday season, The Wall Street Journal reports. For example, this winter opens up Saturday-only nonstops to Palm Springs from Newark and JFK from airlines like United and Alaska Airlines, respectively.