Southern California is gearing up for a busy week of travel this Thanksgiving, with 6.58 million residents expected to hit the roads, board trains and fly in planes.
That’s a 2.8% increase from last year, the American Automobile Association states in its travel forecast.
With many venturing at least 50 miles from home during the week, AAA predicts that Tuesday, Nov. 26, will be the busiest day for car travel.
Between Tuesday, Nov. 26, and Monday, Dec. 2, nearly 80 million people across the nation are expected to journey by freeways, rail and air. Such a surge would surpass pre-pandemic numbers and mark the busiest Thanksgiving on record nationwide, the Automobile club reported.
With a record 5.72 million people anticipated to drive — a 2.7-% increase from last year — AAA forecasts that driving will be the preferred mode of transportation in Southern California.
That wouldn’t surprise Gilbert Rios, manager of CSAI Auto Service in Riverside, who said he’s seen a “steady increase in customers coming in for maintenance, oil changes and repair services this week before planned travel.”
For the first time, AAA included the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and the Monday after to better predict the flow of holiday travelers.
Here are some things to know about traveling this Thanksgiving.
Worst days to drive and fly
Drivers should expect Tuesday, Nov. 26 — from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. — to be the busiest time to travel by car, AAA data reported.
The worst congestion in Southern California is likely to be on the northbound 5 Freeway between Los Angeles and Bakersfield on Wednesday evening, Nov. 27, when travel time is expected to more than double to about four hours.
Other routes predicted to see heavy traffic are the 10 Freeway in Los Angeles and Riverside counties. The Automobile club advises drivers to plan for longer travel times and to leave early.
In the air, the busiest day is expected to be Sunday, Dec. 1, while the least congested days would be Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, and Friday, Nov. 29, an Ontario International Airport news release states.
Automobiles
While Southern California travelers may encounter busy roads, drivers can take comfort in the fact that gas prices are at their lowest since the pandemic, “averaging around $4.50 per gallon in most local metro areas,” AAA reported.
On Friday, Nov. 22, the average price of regular petrol was $4.46 per gallon in Los Angeles County, $4.33 per gallon in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and $4.38 per gallon in Orange County, according to AAA.
Preparation is key for Thanksgiving travelers. For example, “if your destination is likely to see snow, remember to pack chains for your vehicle,” Automobile Club of Southern California spokesperson Marie Montgomery said.
Planes
With a 5.8% rise over the previous year, Ontario International Airport is predicting that it will set a new Thanksgiving holiday record, with an estimated 225,000 passengers over the 11-day period starting Friday, Nov. 22, and ending Monday, Dec. 2.
The Thanksgiving boost is expected to help the airport reach a new plateau for a year — 7 million passengers, spokesperson Steve Lambert said.
At Long Beach Airport, officials expect an estimated 130,000 passengers over the holiday period, with Sunday, Dec. 1, being its busiest day.
To handle the extra crowds, the airport will temporarily halt a construction project and open all lanes in front of the Historic Terminal from Monday, Nov. 25, through Monday, Dec. 2. Work that began in April has limited the pick-up and drop-off area to two lanes, spokesperson Kate Kuykendall said,
In Orange County, those using John Wayne Airport may encounter delays because of work to improve inside amenities such as baggage systems, lighting and escalators.
“Thanksgiving travelers will see construction which they haven’t seen in the past so that may affect wait times,” John Wayne Airport spokesperson AnnaSophia Servin said.
Los Angeles International Airport is anticipating more than 2.2 million passengers to move through the airport over the travel period, with the busiest day expected to be Sunday, Nov. 24.
Trains
On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28, and Friday, Nov. 29, most Metrolink and Arrow trains — which run between Redlands and San Bernardino — will be on their regular weekend schedules.
This will be the case on the San Bernardino Line, 91/Perris Valley Line and Inland Empire-Orange County Line, Orange County Line, Ventura County Line and Antelope Valley Line.
Trains will not run on the Riverside Line, which doesn’t run on weekends, a Metrolink release states.
Metrolink riders also can take advantage of a $10 Holiday Pass that will be available Thursday and Friday, allowing unlimited single-day train rides at all open Metrolink stations. The pass can be bought through the Metrolink mobile app or at station ticket machines under “special ticket options.”
Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, are the first two giant pandas to enter the United States in 21 years, Above, Yun Chuan, the male panda of the two, enjoys fresh bamboo during his first public viewing at the San Diego Zoo on Thursday, Aug. 8. San Diego is one of the most popular holiday destinations for Southern Californians. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Thanksgiving Day Hotspots
The most popular holiday destinations in Southern California are San Diego, Las Vegas, the Central Coast, the Grand Canyon, Disneyland and California’s national parks.
Hawaii is the most popular Thanksgiving air destination for Southern California residents, while Mexico is the most popular cruise destination, AAA reported.
Florida — including Orlando, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale — are this year’s top three domestic Thanksgiving vacation destinations in the United States.
“Our takeaway from these numbers are that it really confirms that travelers are feeling confident and are ready to get out there and see their loved ones for the holidays,” Montgomery said.