WASHINGTON — Hitting the road for the holiday on Friday? You’re far from alone.
AAA Mid-Atlantic says that Friday will be the heaviest travel day of the season, especially on the roads. Christmas is on Sunday, and AAA said the last time that happened, in 2011, the Friday before Christmas was the busiest travel day.
AAA forecasts that the heaviest traffic Friday will happen at about 4 p.m., when they say drivers can “expect absolute gridlock on area roadways.”
Along Interstate 95 around Dale City, some travelers shared some tips on how to make the drive south a bit more bearable.
Anthony Clements is driving from New York to North Carolina, and his advice is to travel during the night. “If you come up here in the day time, you’re still going to be here at night,” he said.
Larry Thompson, his wife and three dogs are driving a 31-foot camper from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to Charleston, South Carolina. Because he is driving a big vehicle, he is prepared for smaller cars trying to pass him. “They like to dash in and out, and you have to be prepared for that,” he said.
Since many offices are closing early, there should be plenty of traffic on the local roads too, AAA predicts.
More than 2.5 million area residents are expected to leave the area for the holidays — about 2 percent more than last year, said AAA’s John Townsend.
Christmas travelers making shorter trips — between 50 and 100 miles — are expected to delay their travels until Saturday, meaning drivers should also expect “heavy” travel on Christmas Eve too, AAA said.
More than 100 million people nationwide are getting away for the holidays, and 93.6 percent are going by car, AAA estimates.
About 6 million Americans are expected to fly this year during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
A projected 143,200 D.C.-area residents are planning to fly this year — an increase of 3.2 percent over last year.
Typically, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are light travel days at airports, AAA said.
WTOP’s Mike Murillo and Abigail Constantino contributed to this report.
