After setting the record for most travelers during the Thanksgiving holiday period, Americans are estimated to hit the road at an all-time rate this winter holiday season.
AAA projects 119.3 million people will travel 50 miles or more between Dec. 21 and Jan. 1, a new record. It would outpace the previous record set in 2019 by 64,000 travelers.
“This is the time of year when lifelong memories are made with loved ones, and travel plays a big role in that,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. “This year, with Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday, we’re anticipating record-breaking travel numbers the weekend before and the weekend after the holiday.”
About 89.7% of travelers are expected to travel via car to their destination. That represents roughly 107 million people, 2.5 million more than last year but 1 million shy of 2019's record travel year.
Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Oahu, Orlando, Phoenix and Tampa are the cities exhibiting the highest rental demand during this period, according to car rental company Hertz.
Another 7.85 million Americans are projected to fly to their destination, surpassing the record set last year of 7.5 million travelers. Flights are 4% more expensive this year compared to last year, AAA booking data shows.