Holiday travel surge: AAA says 122 million Americans will travel as gas prices drop below $3
Experts with AAA say car travel will dominate through New Year’s, driven by lower gas prices compared to last holiday season. For the first time in four years, the national average price per gallon dropped below $3 just in time for peak Christmas travel.
In today’s Forecast Feed, Bernie Rayno takes a look at the weather for the week of Christmas.
Lower gas prices are helping fuel a surge in travel by car this holiday season as Christmas travel kicks off this weekend.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) projects more than 122.4 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home during the holiday period from Dec. 20 through New Year’s Day. That would set a new record for holiday travel, surpassing last year’s total with 2.2% more travelers expected.
The vast majority will hit the road, with 89% traveling by car, a 2% increase from last year. AAA experts say lower gas prices are making road trips especially appealing. For the first time in four years, the national average price per gallon dropped below $3 in December, with prices possibly falling further by the end of 2025.
Gas price at the GasWay Xpress Mart at 1120 Erie Blvd. pump gas on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, in Schenectady, N.Y. Average national gas prices are at their lowest since 2021, with some prices dropping below $3. (Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)
Winter weather can make the holiday travel season more dangerous, especially for those not used to driving in snow and ice. Last year, AAA crews responded to more than 860,000 emergency roadside assistance calls, helping drivers with dead batteries, flat tires and fuel issues.
As the first week of Christmas travel kicks off, AccuWeather meteorologists are tracking a storm that could create messy travel conditions for some in the central and eastern parts of the United States with rain, ice and potentially snow.
When are the busiest travel days for Christmas and New Year’s?
Travel data and insight provider INRIX forecasts that the weekend before Christmas — Dec. 20 and 21 — will see significantly increased traffic. On those days, the best times to travel are before 11 a.m. or after 8 p.m.
The day after Christmas is also expected to be a very busy day on the roads. Peak travel time on Dec. 26 is between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m., according to INRIX.
Major cities across the U.S. will experience substantial traffic increases on Dec. 20 and 26. Traffic on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore will increase by 133% on Dec. 20. On Dec. 26, the drive from Fort Collins to Denver along Interstate 25 will see a 97% increase in traffic. Along the Interstate 4 corridor from Tampa to Orlando, traffic is expected to be up 79%.
However, if you are traveling on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day, those holidays are typically the lightest days for road traffic.
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