An estimated 81.8 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the Thanksgiving weekend, a new high, according to AAA’s 2025 Thanksgiving travel forecast.

The projection marks a record-setting increase of 1.6 million travelers compared to last year, with nearly 90% of travelers — about 73 million people — hitting the road.

"Especially since 2021, we are seeing more people interested in getting out and traveling,“ AAA spokesperson Jim Garrity said. ”They are taking advantage of the days off from work, and they are grabbing the chance to see friends and family when they can.

“Travel is very hot, and it only gets hotter it seems like,” he continued.

Thanksgiving is the single busiest holiday for travel, Garrity said, despite being a cold weather holiday for our region compared to Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.

"I think that speaks to the nature of the holiday,“ Garrity said. ”It is very much an ‘over the river, through the woods’ travel holiday with 90% of folks driving to their destinations.”

Unlike during the spring and summer where people are traveling for their own vacations, he said, the nature of Thanksgiving encourages people to hop in their car and travel to see family and friends over the dinner table.

AAA predicts about 73 million Americans will travel by car this weekend, which is up by 1.3 million compared to last year’s driving statistics.

Wednesday, Nov. 26 is being projected to be the busiest day on the road for motorists, especially after 11 a.m. and into the evening.

Garrity advises to hit the road before 11 a.m. if possible, as travel patterns could see higher flows of traffic starting in the early afternoon hours.

"Give yourself more time than you think you need,“ Garrity said. ”The holidays are stressful enough, and you don't need to make them more stressful by running late."

While 6 million people are projected to fly, concerns about recent flight reductions may push more people to drive instead, Garrity said.

Garrity suggests getting to airports about two hours before your flight, but added that people may need to show up earlier than that.

“We always say get to the airport two hours early no matter what, but you might want to bump it up to three hours as there is an increased number of people who are flying,” he said. “Then, if you are flying through Pittsburgh International, that extra hour at the airport might be a good because you have a whole new airport to explore."

The Pittsburgh International Airport officially opened its new $1.7 billion terminal on Nov. 18, just in time for the influx of extra travelers this weekend.

"I was lucky enough to go on a tour when it was under construction,“ Garrity said of the new terminal at the Pittsburgh Airport. ”It really is a site to see. They really have revitalized it and added many amenities they say that will make the traveling experience a whole new story.”

Gas prices are relatively stable compared to where they were this time last year.

At the gas pump, drivers should see similar prices compared to this time last year when the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.06 on Thanksgiving day.

As of Tuesday, Nov. 25, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.05, while the average price in Pennsylvania was $3.26 and the average in Butler County was $3.32.

"The normal trend is once winter blend gasoline hits the market, and once you see demand drop down, you should see prices remain stable,“ Garrity said.

Last Thanksgiving, AAA said it responded to almost 600,000 emergency roadside assistance calls to help stranded drivers with issues such as dead batteries, flat tires and empty fuel tanks.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, from 2019 to 2023, the death toll in drunk-driving crashes during the Thanksgiving weekend was 868, representing 35% of all fatalities in traffic crashes during that holiday period.

"I want to bring attention to the alarming trends you see with impaired driving, especially the day before Thanksgiving which is known as a big drinking night,“ Garrity said. ”People come back into town, see folks they haven't seen in a while and meet up at the bar.

“If you are gong to be one of those people participating and have a couple drinks, we say to have your ‘get home plan’ put together before even going out.”

According to Mike Kennedy, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, Nov. 25 will see above normal temperatures, before we get our first real taste of cold winter weather on Thanksgiving and into the weekend.

“We will have a front come through,” Kennedy said. “Butler County will see the mid-50s Wednesday and then a cold front will come in with some wind Thursday, and it will feel like the mid-20s with the wind chill.“

That mid-20s feeling will carry through Sunday, Nov. 30 when temperatures begin to go up slightly, Kennedy said.

Sunday morning should also bring some rain in the early part of the day, which should be the largest amount of precipitation Butler County will see this weekend.

“It will mainly be rain because temperatures will moderate by Sunday in the low 40s,“ Kennedy said.