Nov 25, 2025 - News
Best and worst times for Thanksgiving traffic
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If you're traveling for Thanksgiving this year, remember to pack your patience.
The big picture: A record-breaking 81.8 million Americans will be traveling 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 Francisco will be at 7:16pm today on the 101 north.
- Expect the trip from San Francisco to Santa Rosa to take two and a half hours — that's 114% longer than normal, per INRIX.
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.
Nationally, the worst times to hit the road will be Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons before Thanksgiving and the following Sunday.
- The best travel day: Thanksgiving itself.