With the last weekend before Christmas upon us, the holiday travel period has begun.
This year, the American Automobile Association (AAA) says a record number of Americans will be making journeys—122.4 million of them in total. While millions of those journeys will be made by plane or other forms of public transportation, the overwhelming majority—109.5 million—will be made by car.
If you’re one of those making your Christmas trip by car, here are the best and worst times to hit the road over the holiday travel period, which AAA defines as running from December 20 to January 1.
Best times to hit the roads
The 2025 holiday period spans 13 days this year, running from Saturday, December 20, 2025, to Thursday, January 1, 2026.
The good news is that for four of those days—Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day—road traffic is expected to be minimal.
Unfortunately, on the other nine days, traffic could become quite congested as people take to the roads to get to or come back from their holiday destinations.
However, even on busy days, there are specific times of day when congestion is expected to be lighter.
Here are the best times, according to information compiled by AAA from transportation data and insights provider INRIX:
- Saturday, December 20: After 9:00 PM
- Sunday, December 21: Before 11:00 AM
- Monday, December 22: Before 10:00 AM
- Tuesday, December 23: Before 10:00 AM
- Wednesday, December 24: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected
- Thursday, December 25: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected
- Friday, December 26: Before 11:00 AM
- Saturday, December 27: Before 11:00 AM
- Sunday, December 28: Before 11:00 AM
- Monday, December 29: Before 10:00 AM
- Tuesday, December 30: Before 10:00 AM
- Wednesday, December 31: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected
- Thursday, January 1: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected
Worst times to hit the roads
Now for the bad news: INRIX’s data shows that on most days during the travel period, roads are likely to be congested for most of the 24 hours.
Some of the busiest days are expected to be this weekend, as people set off on their holiday journeys, and December 26, when they begin returning.
Here are the worst times to be on the road during the holiday travel period, according to AAA and INRIX:
- Saturday, December 20: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Sunday, December 21: 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Monday, December 22: 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Tuesday, December 23: 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Wednesday, December 24: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected
- Thursday, December 25: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected
- Friday, December 26: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Saturday, December 27: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Sunday, December 28: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Monday, December 29: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Tuesday, December 30: 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Wednesday, December 31: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected
- Thursday, January 1: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected
A record 122.4 million people will travel this holiday period
A staggering 122.4 million people in America are expected to travel over the 13-day holiday period. That’s a record, according to AAA.
To put that number in perspective, it’t 2.2% more than the 119.7 million travelers last year, and 2.8% more than the 119.3 million who traveled in 2019, the year before the pandemic.
When looking at automobile travel by itself, 109.5 million are expected to make the journey by car this year, a 2% increase from the 107.4 million car journeys last year and a 1.4% increase from the 108 million auto journeys in 2019.
But cars aren’t the only mode people will be traveling by.
AAA says air passengers will hit 8.03 million this holiday period. That’s up 2.3% from the 7.85 million who took to the skies last year, and 12% more than the 7.33 million who made car journeys in the 2019 holiday period.
Finally, AAA says 4.9 million Americans are expected to make this year’s holiday journeys by bus, train, or cruise.
That’s up 9% from the 4.49 million who did so in 2024, and up a whopping 24.9% from the 3.89 million who made similar journeys in the 2019 holiday period.
