PORTLAND, Ore. — The holiday travel season is upon us, and millions of people are going to be traveling over the next week.
This year is expected to be another record-breaking year for travelers across the country, whether by air, road or rail.
AAA reports that nearly 80 million Americans will travel this week, including more than a million Oregonians. Nearly 72 million people will drive and 5.8 million will fly. A spokesperson with the Port of Portland said it's expected to be busier this year than last. Starting Wednesday through Monday, Dec. 2, thousands of passengers will pass through the gates at Portland International Airport (PDX).
That level of congestion at the airport means people should plan ahead and arrive early.
"The general rule of thumb to make sure everyone gets to their gate on time is to arrive two hours early, but that's particularly important if you have a flight during the rush-hours period (Wednesday through Monday, Dec. 2)," said Allison Ferre with Port of Portland.
Ferre added that the busiest time of the day for traveling at PDX is 5 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Travelers may also want to leave early if they're getting behind the wheel.
"This is the biggest travel number we have ever seen, up 2% compared to last year, and it beats pre-pandemic numbers from 2019," said Marie Dodds with AAA.
The one thing that will be on drivers' side this year is the price of gas. Dodds said in Oregon the average price of gas is about 50 to 60 cents less than a year ago.
Traveling by train this year is expected to be up, too. A spokesperson for Amtrak said they saw more than 20,000 people travel by train last year, and they expect this year to be even higher.
