Overview

• AAA and INRIX project the heaviest traffic in afternoon and early evening hours throughout the holiday period, with mornings offering the best driving conditions.
• Day-by-day guidance from AAA advises leaving before 1 p.m. Thursday, before noon Friday, between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Saturday, avoiding noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, and expecting a Monday peak from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• In New England, AAA warns of a Monday bottleneck on I-93 between Boston and New Hampshire around 12:15 p.m., when travel times could more than double.
• Allstate expects the largest influx of out-of-state drivers in Austin, San Antonio, Nashville, Colorado Springs, and Las Vegas, with slowdowns likely on key routes in Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Dallas.
• AAA reports domestic travel costs below 2024 levels—flights down 6%, hotels 11%, car rentals 3%—and cautions that Friday will be the busiest day for rental car pickups.