AAA expects the 2025 Christmas holiday week to be the busiest on record, with more than 122 million Americans traveling at least 50 miles.
Of the 122.4 million travelers, 89.4% will drive and 6.6% will fly, according to AAA.
While New Year’s week will also see heavy traffic, AAA says Christmas week will be most active. Hertz projects Dec. 20 will be the busiest rental car pickup day, with top locations in Orlando, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami and Phoenix.
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Dec. 20 and 21 are expected to be among the busiest interstate travel days, with Dec. 26 also projected to see heavy congestion. AAA says traffic could more than double on some routes — Washington to Baltimore could be 133% heavier on Dec. 20, and Boston to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, could see a 126% increase.
Travel between Fort Collins and Denver on Dec. 26 could take 1 hour, 53 minutes — about 50 minutes longer than usual.
“Year-end travel is a mix of family road trips, friend getaways and tropical vacations,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. “Holiday celebrations look different for everyone, but a common thread is the desire to travel, whether it’s returning to your hometown or exploring new destinations.”
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AAA says Dec. 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1 are likely the least busy travel days.
Click here to see the best and worst travel times for your region.
