A record number of Americans are expected to hit the road and skies during the upcoming year-end holiday period, even as hazardous winter weather threatens to complicate travel across large portions of the country.
AAA projects 122.4 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Dec. 20 and Jan. 1, marking a 2.2 percent increase from last year and surpassing the previous record set in 2024. The forecast reflects strong demand for holiday travel despite higher airfares and ongoing weather disruptions.
Driving remains the dominant mode of transportation, with 109.5 million Americans expected to travel by car, nearly 89 percent of all holiday travelers. AAA attributes the continued popularity of road trips to convenience and affordability, noting that national gas prices have dropped below $3 per gallon for the first time in four years.
Motorists are urged to prioritize safety, as evidenced by last year’s holiday period, when the organization responded to more than 860,000 roadside assistance calls for issues such as dead batteries, flat tires, and empty fuel tanks.
Air travel is also expected to reach new highs. AAA forecasts 8.03 million domestic air travelers, the first time holiday air travel has surpassed 8 million. According to booking data, the average round-trip domestic flight costs nearly $900, about 7 percent more than last year, with the days leading up to Christmas among the most expensive.
Travel by other modes, including buses, trains, and cruises, is projected to rise 9 percent, totaling 4.9 million travelers, driven largely by continued post-pandemic demand for cruise vacations.
Damaging winds could produce extremely hazardous travel conditions, while saturated soils and elevated river levels increase the risk of flash flooding and landslides in some regions.
AAA noted that Christmas Day and New Year’s Day are typically the lightest travel days, but weather-related delays and accidents could significantly impact travel times.
The year-end holiday travel period spans 13 days, giving travelers flexibility in departure and return plans, though officials advise monitoring forecasts closely and preparing for delays as Americans head into what is expected to be the busiest holiday travel season on record.