How to beat Washington traffic this Thanksgiving
🍗 Best and worst 2025 Thanksgiving travel times: Detailed travel data from November 25 to December 1, 2025 reveals the optimum and worst hours for Thanksgiving travel. The table includes daily best and worst times for your convenience.
Thanksgiving travel: Thanksgiving week 2025 is expected to witness high traffic volumes across Washington and the entire U.S. An estimated 81.8 million Americans are projected to travel at least 50 miles between November 25 and December 1.
Why it matters: The crucial routes in Washington, such as I–5, I–90, and U.S. 2, are likely to witness heavy traffic and subsequent delays. This highlights the importance of these projections for planning your travels.
Car talk: Data indicates that road travel will witness peak traffic volumes during the holiday period. The section also includes updates on gas prices in Washington in comparison to the national average.
On the fly and by ferry: Get insights on air and sea travels including tips for cost-saving on flight fares and alerts on possible long queues due to increased ferry passengers.
What we’re watching: Keep up to date with the weather forecasts that may affect your trip. Direct links to forecasts have been provided for your convenience.
What they’re saying: Heidi Dettmer of AAA Washington advises travelers to verify weather and road conditions, and flight statuses ahead of their journey. Preparedness for potential traffic or delays is also suggested.
The bottom line: To evade heavy traffic, the advice is simple – leave earlier than usual, especially on important days, and plan your journey in advance.
