The best and worst times for San Diego Thanksgiving 2025 travel
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If you're traveling for Thanksgiving this year, remember to pack your patience.
Why it matters: There'll be a record-breaking 81.8 million Americans leaving town for Thanksgiving this year, AAA predicts.
- About 90% of them will be driving, 7% will fly and everyone else will take trains, buses, or cruise ships.
🚗 State of play: The worst Turkey Day traffic in San Diego will be at 5pm Wednesday on 15 North.
- Expect the trip from San Diego to Palm Springs to take 4 hours and 49 minutes—that's 79% longer than normal, according to INRIX.
- Wednesday will also be the busiest day to snag a rental car, Hertz tells AAA.
Nationally, the worst times to hit the road will be Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons before Thanksgiving and the following Sunday, says INRIX.
- The best travel day: Thanksgiving.
✈️ Things will also be busy at the San Diego Airport.
- About 875,000 people will pass through the airport during the week of Thanksgiving, according to spokesperson Nicole Hall.
- Daily passenger volume could reach 80,000 people — a 2%-3% bump from last year.
- The busiest day is expected to be Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Nationally at 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 — more than last year.
Flying travel tips:
- Check your flight status before heading to the airport.
- Allow extra time for traffic and security, especially during peak curbside hours.
- Those are 4–6:15am, 9:30am–12:30pm and 8pm–12am.
- Remember, the opening of Terminal 1 means new road signs, so pay attention.
- Make parking reservations in advance.
Driving travel tips:
- Use Caltrans' QuickMap and 511 Real-Time Traveler Information for live traffic, incidents and construction.
- Check tires, battery and maintenance before hitting the road
A little good news for drivers: Gas prices will be lower than last month's spike.