The annual Thanksgiving exodus is shaping up to be a record-breaker in Chicago, with transportation officials anticipating a significant increase in travelers hitting the roads and skies. According to ABC7 Chicago, experts are observing passenger volumes reaching highs of 17% above 2022 figures, and nearly three million individuals are expected to traverse through Chicago's airports alone starting this Tuesday.
With the TSA projected to screen about 18.3 million people from Tuesday through the following Monday – a 6% uptick from last year, travelers are gearing up for extended travel times. Tuesday and Wednesday, they warn of road congestion, are projected as the peak times for travelers to be driving to their destinations. Meanwhile, WGN-TV asserts that Sunday might take the lead as the busiest travel day, as many people will be making their trips back home.
For those choosing the highways, AAA projects that over 71 million will travel by car over the holiday, surpassing even pre-pandemic levels. Advising travelers, Inrix, a transportation data firm, indicates the worst times for road travel to be between 1 and 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday. They recommend leaving before 10 a.m. if departing on Tuesday and suggest that Thanksgiving Day might offer the clearest roads. As a side note, AAA is forecasting a slight reprieve for drivers with gas prices potentially sliding below $3 per gallon for the first time since 2021.
On the aviation front, Chicago's O'Hare and Midway International airports are bracing for the surge. "We want you to get to the airport two hours before your departure time," Georgiaree Godfrey of the Department of Aviation urged in a statement obtained by WGN-TV. "So don't leave your house two hours before your flight's supposed to leave." TSA is optimistic about managing waits to under 30 minutes for most travelers, thanks largely to robust staff numbers this year. The agency also reminds passengers to be knowledgeable on what can and cannot go through security, especially those Thanksgiving essentials.
The weather factor, often unpredictable, is currently showing some mercy on Chicago – with cold temperatures expected but no significant snow forecasted that would likely snarl travel plans. Amid this period of high mobility, traveler Iggy Eweka expressed a common sentiment: "I just hope everybody has a safe travel and everybody's just really safe," a sentiment DCVB shared with WGN-TV. After the feasts and family time, for those driving back on Sunday, the advice remains consistent: aim for an early morning departure, and for Monday travelers, be ready for a congested mingle of holiday returnees and regular work commuters.
