Thanksgiving Travel: Best Times To Drive On New York Roads
Hitting the road to visit friends and family this Thanksgiving? You definitely aren’t the only one.
Our New York State highways are about to be packed with fellow hungry drivers heading to their holiday destination. The long Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and experts say it’s about to get even busier.
AAA is predicting that close to 72 million people will be traveling by car this weekend, a million more than before the pandemic.
Before you load up the car with your luggage, casseroles, and kids, here’s what you need to know.
The Best And Worst Times To Drive In New York State
Since there’s bound to be a record number of travelers on New York State roads this Thanksgiving, it's good to start preparing. Besides paying close attention to local news alerts and traffic apps so you don’t get caught in a huge traffic jam, there are other ways you can avoid getting stuck in a major delay on the way to Thanksgiving dinner.
The traffic analytics company INRIX revealed to Newsweek that some days and times will definitely be more crowded than others. However, there was one day that will hands down be the best.
INRIX says that Thanksgiving Day itself will be the very best day to hit the road in New York State, where there will be far fewer cars on the thruway and highways.
Here’s what they say are the WORST and BEST times to drive this week.
The WORST Times To Drive This Thanksgiving
- Tuesday, November 26
- 1 to 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, November 27
- 1 to 5 p.m.
- Thursday, November 28
- Minimal traffic impact
- Friday, November 29
- 7 to 10 a.m.
- Saturday, November 30
- 4 to 8 p.m.
- Sunday, December 1
- Noon to 6 p.m.
- Monday, December 2
- 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The BEST Times To Drive This Thanksgiving
- Tuesday, November 26
- Before 10 a.m.
- Wednesday, November 27
- Before 10 a.m.
- Thursday, November 28
- Minimal traffic impact
- Friday, November 29
- After 1 p.m.
- Saturday, November 30
- Before 1 p.m.
- Sunday, December 1
- Before 1 p.m.
- Monday, December 2
- Before 8 a.m. & After 7 p.m.
The Only 24/7 Diners Left In New York State
Gallery Credit: Yelp/Megan Carter