What to know about travelin' Arkansas this week
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If you're going to leave town for Thanksgiving, it's gonna be crowded out there.
The big picture: A record-breaking 81.8 million Americans will be traveling for Thanksgiving this year, AAA predicts.
- At least 73 million people, about 90% of Thanksgiving travelers, will go by car.
Yes, but: Don't expect empty airports. The FAA has lifted the flight restrictions imposed during the shutdown, and more than 6 million Americans are expected to fly domestically for Thanksgiving — up about 2% from 5.9 million last year.
State of play: This has been the busiest year on record for the Northwest Arkansas National Airport.
- This past Sunday was projected to be the busiest day so far this year at XNA, but Nov. 30 is projected to be one of the busiest days in TSA history across the U.S.
Nationally, the worst times to hit the road will be Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons before Thanksgiving and the following Sunday, says transportation insights company INRIX.
- The best travel day: Thanksgiving itself.
What's next: It's still early, but extended forecasts for NWA call for chances of rain over the weekend.
- You can check a flight's status at flyxna.com.
- See real-time state traffic maps at IDriveArkansas or download the app.