AAA expects Florida will see the busiest Thanksgiving travel week since 2005

Jacksonville FL — If you are planning on traveling this Thanksgiving in Florida, you’re not alone. AAA is forecasting this Thanksgiving week will be the busiest in Florida since 2005. AAA says more than 2.9 million Floridians are expected to travel 50 miles or more which is 2% more than last year and nearly 1% more than in 2019. Despite high gas prices, AAA says 91% of travelers in Florida will be getting around by car.

Mark Jenkins with AAA says the best time to hit the road is in the early morning and late evening hours.

“Of course, the days leading up to Thanksgiving it’s gonna be particularly busy in the afternoon and early evening hours”. Jenkins says.

AAA says gas prices are trending higher this month and could set a new record high for Thanksgiving. The record in the state is $3.46 a gallon set back during Thanksgiving 2013.

Click here to see the latest average gas prices in Florida.

If you are planning on flying this Thanksgiving week, AAA says air travel is up nearly 8% this year compared to last. At Jacksonville International Airport, officials tell us they are expecting a high volume of travelers. JIA estimates more than 10,000 passengers are expected to fly out each day, so that means you should get to the airport at least 2 hours before your flight and you might have to deal with parking closures and long lines through security. The airport says any parking capacity information will be communicated on the airport’s website and on the road signage as you approach the airport. On certain days this Thanksgiving week, parking is expected to be completely full, so you might want to think about different ways to get to the airport.

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