Going Home for the Holidays? Experts Say Don't Drive on These Dates.

Photo: AAA Holiday Travel Forecast

If you’re driving in the next two weeks, the AAA report advises that the worst days to travel for Christmas will be the weekend of December 21 and 22, with Sunday, December 22, being the worst of the worst. It’s expected to be the busiest day for driving, especially during afternoon hours. The best days for driving are those closest to the holiday, including Christmas Eve (December 24) and Christmas Day (December 25). Likewise, driving on January 31 (New Year’s Eve) and January 1, 2025 (New Years Day) will maximize your chances of having a quick, traffic-free journey.

Based on AAA’s data, the days and times in the table above will be the best and worst for long-distance driving this year.

As is often the case, traffic around DC and the beltway is expected to be some of the worst in the country around Christmas. Photo: Daniel J. Macy/Shutterstock

Depending on where you live in the US, travel could be even worse than the national average. Based on traveler data, AAA anticipates that some metro areas will see extremely bad traffic as people head home for the holidays. Washington, DC, famous for bad traffic year-round, is expected to be the most congested metro area, with traffic woes peaking on the afternoon of Thursday, December 19. It could see a 160 percent increase in delays (not 60 percent — 160 percent). Other metro areas and times drivers will want to avoid include:

• New York, NY: Avoid hitting the road on Sunday, December 22, where there could be a 108 percent increase in traffic in the late afternoon, especially if you’re headed toward Long Island.
• Seattle, WA: Drivers headed vaguely in the direction of Ellensburg, WA, will likely see a 106 percent increase in drive times, especially if they leave in the evening on Friday, December 20.
• Boston, MA: If you’re heading south from Boston, avoid the afternoon of Friday, December 20, where drives may take 100 percent longer than normal (a.k.a., take twice as long).
• Other metro areas, including San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Denver, CA; Tampa, FL; Portland, OR; and Chicago, IL, will see drives take 50 to 100 percent longer than normal.
• Drivers around Atlanta, GA; Detroit, MI; Minneapolis, MN; Philadelphia, PA; and San Diego, CA, should expect drives to take between 35 and 49 percent longer than normal.