Top 10 Worst Cities for Thanksgiving Traffic

By: By Becky Kellogg

Published: November 26,2013

Traffic Headaches Ahead

Over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house on Thanksgiving has become over the bridge, through the tunnel, traverse two interstates, and wait in traffic. Oh, and by the way, do this all while checking your cell phone app to see if traffic congestion will ease anytime soon.
(MORE: Thanksgiving Holiday Forecast | 5 Things To Know About Thanksgiving Travel)
Thanksgiving, which has traditionally been a time when families gather together, has also become the busiest travel holiday of the year. AAA predicts 43.4 million people will hit the roads this Thanksgiving week. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving will be the day when the roads are most packed, followed by the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
“On Wednesday afternoon (the day before Thanksgiving), the average trip for you is going to take about a third longer than it usually does on a Wednesday afternoon,” said Jim Bak with INRIX, which tracks traffic trouble nationwide.
That doesn't take into consideration bad weather, which routinely mars the Thanksgiving holiday. Last year, the New York area was still reeling from the effects of Superstorm Sandy, which struck a few weeks before Thanksgiving. Portland, Oregon's Thanksgiving getaway commute was snarled last year by a nasty hail storm which caused numerous accidents. This year, we have Winter Storm Boreas producing snow and ice in the Rockies and Southern Plains. While the forecast remains uncertain for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, rain and interior snow is looking likely for the East, including major airport hubs.
(WATCH: Winter Weather Update)
“Worst case scenario, if a storm comes through and hits in those 2-6 p.m. hours (on Thanksgiving Wednesday), you’re going to have a confluence of a weather event that slows traffic, rush hour traffic, plus people who are leaving early for the holiday," said Bak. "Those three things combined, if they converge, we’re going to see a lot of traffic on the roads.”
We teamed up with INRIX to create a list of the top 10 worst cities for Thanksgiving traffic. It includes cities on both coasts and in every corner of the nation. All statistics are based on travel the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Even if your city is not included on the list, plan additional time for your Thanksgiving travels.