BEAVERTON, Ore. — Buckle your seatbelts, it’s expected to be a record-setting travel weekend, with the American Automobile Association (AAA) estimating nearly 80 million Americans will be traveling this Thanksgiving.
Those flying this holiday are just 7% of the pie, according to AAA’s website. Nearly 90% of travelers will be traveling by road.
Air travelers at Portland International Airport on Wednesday morning told KGW the lines were shorter than expected. But Marie Dodds with AAA said that Sunday will be busy.
“This is the biggest travel numbers we've ever seen for Thanksgiving,” she said.
Dodds said to expect an additional 1.3 million drivers on the road, compared to 2023. Although gas prices are lower than last year, Dodds said they are increasing as the holiday gets underway.
“I'm barely surviving with the gas prices right now,” said Alex Jacks, as she filled up her tank Wednesday in Beaverton. “I'm a single mom with three boys, so honestly it's ridiculous with inflation and how much groceries are.”
According to INRIX, a transportation data and insights provider, drivers should plan to travel in the mornings to avoid afternoon traffic snarls.
It predicts the best time to travel Sunday is before 1:00 p.m.
The worst time? Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
For the Portland area, INRIX ranks the drive from Hood River to Portland to be the route with the biggest change compared to last year. However, the prediction only adds 12 minutes to the commute.
“These travel apps and the news can help you avoid the biggest congestion spots,” said Dodds.