More Americans are expected to travel for Thanksgiving this year than ever, with increases projected both on Colorado’s highways and out of Denver International Airport.

AAA said it expects 79.9 million people to travel 50 miles or more from home during the week of Thanksgiving, marking a 2% year-over-year increase over the 78.2 million who traveled last year.

A large majority of those travelers, 71.7 million, are expected to drive. Another 5.8 million are expected to travel by airplane, according to AAA.

DIA officials said they expect a 7.5% year-over-year increase of travelers moving through its TSA checkpoints for the week of Thanksgiving.

The TSA expects to screen 18.3 million people nationwide from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2, one of the busiest travel periods on record, according to a news release. This is a 6% increase from Thanksgiving last year, and a 17% increase since 2022.

Skyler McKinley, the regional director of public affairs for AAA, said the increases are largely a reflection of economic conditions. AAA said wage growth has boosted incomes while inflation has stabilized and even declined in some travel-related areas. Colorado gas prices have fallen 20 cents per gallon year-over-year, AAA said.

“Remember, travel is an economic choice,” McKinley said. “While post-pandemic pessimism about the economy lingers, it hasn’t borne out in travel trendlines — which is good news for Colorado’s hospitality industry, even as travelers can expect choked-up roadways and long lines at airports.”

Nationwide, gas prices are expected to average about $2.98 per gallon for the week of Thanksgiving, according to a GasBuddy forecast. The gas price monitoring website said its annual travel survey revealed 72% of Americans plan to take a road trip during the week of Thanksgiving, a staggering 75% year-over-year increase, eclipsing pre-pandemic numbers.

“Americans are eager to get back on the road and visit loved ones this Thanksgiving, with the vast majority choosing the flexibility and convenience of driving, as gas prices have fallen below $3 in over half of the nation’s states,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said. “While a few travelers feel discouraged by current gas prices, our data shows most people are undeterred and willing to absorb the extra costs to reunite with family over the holiday.”

AAA said if you’re planning to drive in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, the best times to be on the road are before 11 a.m. and the worst times are between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Minimal highway traffic is expected on Thanksgiving Day itself.

Black Friday traffic will be worst between 7 and 10 a.m. and the best after 1 p.m., AAA said. The worst time to drive during the weekend after Thanksgiving is between 4-8 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. The best times that weekend are before 1 p.m.

“When you’re stuck in traffic, remember you can’t be mad at traffic: You are traffic,” McKinley said. “Take a beat, take a deep breath, and take in the beautiful Colorado scenery. You’re going to get to where you need to be, though you should build in extra time if you have appointments to keep.”

For those taking to the skies, AAA said the price of domestic airfare is up 3% from last year, but it still expects a 10.7% increase in the number of travelers planning to fly to their Thanksgiving destination.

DIA expects more than 844,000 passengers to move through its security lines between Friday and Dec. 2, with the busiest days being Friday, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

The busiest day at DIA is expected to be Dec. 1, with 90,539 passengers are expected to pass through security. That number would make it the second-busiest day this year at the Denver airport, with only July 7, 2024 being busier. On that day, 93,591 passengers were screened making it the busiest day.

Airport officials said passengers should arrive at least two hours before a flight and expect longer-than-usual security lines, especially during these peak hours:

• 3 a.m. to 4:30 a.m.
• 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
• 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Travelers can reserve a time to go through security up to 14 days in advance to cut down on wait times, officials said.

Real-time security wait times can be found at flydenver.com.

Denver airport officials said parking lots do tend to fill up during the holidays, so travelers should consider taking the RTD A-line.