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When is the best time to hit the road for Thanksgiving?

By and
Updated  November 22, 2023 4:58pm EST
Tampa
FOX 13 News

How to beat Thanksgiving traffic

Aaron Mesmer reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - In terms of pre-Thanksgiving volume on the roads, Wednesday is a big one, but if you leave early enough, you may avoid the worst traffic.  

According to AAA, an estimated three million Floridians will hit the road to get to their Thanksgiving destination this year.

AAA says the best time to get out and beat the traffic is before 11 a.m. on Wednesday. According to the auto club, the worst traffic will be between 2 – 6 p.m.

File: Traffic

File: Traffic

"Wherever you are going, chances are that you are probably going to run into long lines or congestion out on the road," said Mark Jenkins, Spokesman, AAA Auto Club. "So, the most important thing to remember is to be patient. If you are stuck in traffic, you can't get mad at traffic if you are the traffic. You are one of the cars that are out there."

The good news for drivers is that prices have plummeted at the pump.

The average price per gallon in Florida right now is $3.04 and drivers in the Bay Area will pay even less. 

File: Gas pump

File: Gas pump

According to AAA, the most expensive places to purchase gas in Florida are West Palm Beach-Boca Raton ($3.28), Naples ($3.19), Tallahassee ($3.17), while the least expense are Pensacola ($2.88), Crestview-Fort Walton Beach ($2.90), Panama City ($2.98)

AAA offers these tips to save on gasoline:

  • Combine errands to limit driving time.
  • Shop around for the best gas prices in your community.
  • Pay with cash. Some retailers charge extra per gallon for customers who pay with a credit card.
  • Remove excess weight in your vehicle. Every 100 pounds taken out of the vehicle improves fuel economy by 1-2 percent.
  • Drive conservatively. Aggressive acceleration and speeding reduces fuel economy.

Tampa International Airport, meanwhile, is ready for the holiday congestion. About 80,000 travelers are expected to pass through the airport Wednesday, marking it the second-busiest day of the Thanksgiving period at TPA. The Sunday after the holiday is even busier.

"We start planning several weeks in advance for this. The busy period, which means we have to have extra staff at our TSA checkpoints. We have to have extra staff at our shops and restaurants," said Emily Nipps, a TPA spokesperson.

All told, an estimated 55.4 million people are forecasted to travel this holiday weekend, making it one of the busiest holiday travel periods since AAA began keeping records in 2000. This year is forecast to be the third-highest on record, topping 2005 and 2019, respectively, AAA said.