Brace yourself for crowds as record number of travelers are likely to be on the move for the holidays

Americans are likely to set another travel record as they take to the roads, skies and rails for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. An estimated 119.3 million people are expected to make a trip of 50 miles or more, on par with pre-pandemic levels and surpassing the previous mark set in 2019, according to AAA.

“Minnesotans should expect the roads, airports and public transportation to be busier than normal as people take special vacations, visit loved ones and hit the road for holiday plans,” said Brynna Knapp, spokeswoman for AAA Minnesota.

The crush will start Friday, and with weekends on either side of the midweek holidays, it will spill over into the first few days of the new year.

By far, most travelers will drive to their destination, and AAA expects 2.5 million more motorists on the roads this year compared to 2023. With 107 million going by car, travelers should brace themselves for congestion and longer trips, with the worst traffic in metro areas expected on Sunday, said Bob Pishue with the traffic analytics firm INRIX.

Midday travel could also be tough going, said Pishue, who advised motorists to hit the road before lunchtime or after 7 p.m.

“If schedules allow, leave bright and early or after the evening commute,” he said. The best days to drive are on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

While roads will be busy, those who drive will find gas prices at or below $3 a gallon in most of the Midwest, including Minnesota, where the average price was $2.87 on Wednesday, about the same as last year, AAA’s nationwide survey of filling stations said.

At Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, the busiest day at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints will be the day after Christmas when 50,000 travelers are anticipated to pass through screening. The busiest day ahead of Christmas will be Friday with 45,000 people expected to be screened, said spokesman Jeff Lea.

Between Friday and Jan. 6, the airport is planning on 725,000 people passing through security at MSP, which would be a 9% increase over last year, said Brian Ryks, executive director and CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC).

Nationally, terminals will be packed as the TSA said it expects to screen 40 million travelers between Thursday and Jan. 2, a 6.2% increase over last year. The busiest days to fly will be Friday, Dec. 27 and Dec. 30, the agency said.

“Hopefully the weather cooperates and everybody can get on their way,” Ryks said during a MAC meeting earlier this week.

A number of cities, including Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Detroit, New York City, Pittsburgh and Boston, could experience weather-related delays Thursday through Friday night, the Weather Channel said.

Amtrak does not ordinarily do projections for the holidays, said spokesman Marc Magliari. But the railroad is riding a wave of popularity and set a ridership record with 32.8 million passengers between October 2023 and September 2024, up 15% from the previous fiscal year, the railroad said in a news release this month.

Trains, buses and cruises combined are expected to transport 4.47 million people during the 10-day holiday period, the most in 20 years, AAA said.

The bottom line is, no matter the mode, travelers will have a lot of company this year.