Emily Flores
You’re already thinking about grandma’s mashed potatoes, the crackle of leaves under tires, and that moment you pull into the driveway just as the oven pings. But let’s talk about the part nobody mentions: when the highways turn into a metal soup of brake lights and honking horns. If you are packing the car this year, you’ll want to pick your departure time like someone selecting the best lane in a maze. Read on so you don’t end up sitting idling while you should be smelling roasting turkey.
When Everyone Hits The Road
The day before the holiday has turned into a great bottleneck. According to Allstate’s 2025 report, lunch hours (11 am–3 pm) and afternoons (3 pm–7 pm) from Monday through Wednesday before the holiday show the highest congestion for drivers.
Why does this matter to you? Because if you launch your road trip during those windows, you’ll face slow-moving traffic just when you hoped to be cruising. Leave before the rush or wait until the crowds thin out, and you’ll roll in with far less tension and a much easier drive.
Let’s dig deeper:
- On Tuesday before Thanksgiving, 12 pm–9 pm is flagged as especially heavy.
- On Wednesday, 11 am–8 pm is when the highway slowdown occurs.
- On Sunday, 11 am-8 pm will face congestion from people going home.
So if your GPS chimes somewhere in that range, expect frustration instead of smooth sailing.
Routes That Turn Into Parking Lots
Some stretches of road become ground zero for holiday traffic. According to AAA’s 2025 Thanksgiving travel forecast powered by INRIX, the corridor from New York City to the Hamptons along the Long Island Expressway can surge to about 163% above normal travel time around 4:30 pm on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
AAA and INRIX also report that, at that same hour, the route from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore via Balt/Wash Parkway N climbs to roughly 166% above typical delays. Those spikes turn both corridors into slow-moving chains of brake lights.
If your route crosses either stretch, the smart move is to leave well before the afternoon buildup or shift to another corridor entirely. Adjusting by a couple of hours can spare you a long crawl and help your trip stay on pace.
Return Trip & Best Window To Travel
Here’s one of the weird facts: Thanksgiving Day itself, Thursday, November 27, 2025, is forecast to be one of the quieter travel days. Why? Because the bulk of people have already arrived at their location. That means if you’re leaving on Thanksgiving morning or after the big meal, you could bypass many of the snarls others face.
On the flip side, Sunday afternoon after Thanksgiving remains a heavyweight for return-trip traffic. Reports say the worst window is Sunday between 11 am and 8 pm If you aim for an early departure that Sunday—say before noon—or wait until later in the evening, you’ll likely experience far fewer endless brake lights.
Final Thoughts Before You Hit The Road
Choose your departure time with the same care you give your holiday menu because timing makes all the difference. A well-planned start can turn a stressful crawl into an easy ride that actually feels like the beginning of the celebration. Use the traffic windows above to steer clear of long waits, sharp horn blasts, and restless passengers. A calm arrival sets the tone for the whole day, so start strong and travel safely.