Planning to travel for Thanksgiving? Know this before you go

THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE TELLING US. KAI THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL BE DOING SO BY HITTING THE ROAD. THEY’LL HAVE THEIR THEIR EYES ON THE ROAD, JUST LIKE WE’RE DOING FOR YOU RIGHT NOW. AS WE APPROACH I-83 HERE, WE KNOW SOME FOLKS ARE PLANNING TO BEAT THE TRAFFIC DURING THE OFF PEAK HOURS. ONE MAN I SPOKE WITH ACTUALLY TELLS ME HE WAS ALREADY MIDWAY THROUGH HIS TRIP FOR THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY. NEARLY 82 MILLION AMERICANS TRAVELING FOR THANKSGIVING, MAJORITY OF THEM DOING SO BY CAR, TRAVELING FROM NORTH CAROLINA, HEADING TO NEW YORK FROM THE BRONX, HEADING TO THE BRONX. BRANDON CHEN, ALREADY ON THE ROAD TO HIS HOLIDAY DESTINATION, MAKING A QUICK PIT STOP HERE IN MARYLAND. THIS IS THAT TIME OF THE YEAR. SO YEAH, FOR SURE. IT’S ALWAYS GREAT. TRIPLE A MARYLAND PREDICTS ABOUT 1.5 MILLION MARYLANDERS TOTAL WILL TRAVEL FOR THE HOLIDAY. ABOUT 1.3 MILLION OF THEM DOING SO ON A SET OF WHEELS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CAR IS ROAD READY. THAT MEANS CHECKING YOUR YOUR TIRES, YOUR TIRE DEPTH, YOUR TIRE PRESSURE, MAKING SURE THAT YOUR BATTERY IS IN GOOD SHAPE, MDOT SAYS. THESE ARE THE TIMES TO STAY OFF THE ROADS. IF YOU WANT TO AVOID TRAFFIC TUESDAY BETWEEN 6 A.M. AND 10 A.M., AND AGAIN FROM 2 TO 7 P.M. WEDNESDAY BETWEEN 2 AND 7 P.M. AND THEN ON THE SUNDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING BETWEEN 2 AND 6 P.M. THIS SUNDAY, I’M GOING TO LEAVE FOR THANKSGIVING BREAK. WE’RE GOING TO HEAD ALL THE WAY UP TO NORWALK, CONNECTICUT. MANY DRIVERS, INCLUDING THIS LOYOLA UNIVERSITY STUDENT TELLING. WBAL-TV THEY’RE NAVIGATING A ROUTE TO AVOID CONGESTION. THE TRAFFIC THERE IS TERRIBLE. THE NEW YORK CITY AREA. SO I LIKE TO LEAVE AROUND 7 P.M. THAT WAY I AVOID ALL THE TRAFFIC AND I GET HOME WITHIN A GOOD TIME PERIOD. PLAN ON GOING VIRGINIA ON THANKSGIVING DAY, PROBABLY AROUND IF I’M NOT WORKING. PROBABLY AROUND LIKE SOMEWHERE EIGHT IN THE MORNING, TRAVELING DURING THE BUSIEST TRAVEL TIME. YEAH, BECAUSE IT’S ALL ABOUT FAMILY AND GATHERING. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT WE’RE ALL GOING TO LINK UP WITH IT. YEAH. SO IT’S A IT’S A IT’S A GOOD MOMENT TO HAVE. A GOOD TIME TO BE WITH FAMILY AND LOVED ONES FOR SURE. WE HAVE YOU BACK HERE LOOKING AT I-83. TAKE IT ALL IN BECAUSE THIS IS THIS IS THE CLEAR TIME. ACCORDING TO TRIPLE A, A TIME THAT YOU SHOULD MAYBE CONSIDER TRAVELING NEXT WEEK. IF YOU DO HAVE TO TRAVEL FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON. HOWEVER, THEY DO TELL US SOME MARYLANDERS WILL BE BOARDING A PLANE ABOUT 140,000. AS I MENTIONED. THEY SAY THOUGH DUE TO THE RECENT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, SOME MARYLANDERS DID DECIDE TO PREEMPTIVELY CANCEL THOSE FLIGHTS AND MAKE OTHER ARRANGEMENTS FOR TRAVEL DUE TO THAT. SO THAT WAS SOMETHING OF AN EFFECT THAT WE SAW JUST DUE TO THAT RECENT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, BUT FOR NOW, LIVE IN LIVE DRIVE 11. TORI YORGEY, BACK TO YOU. ALL RIGHT, TORI, BE SAFE AND YOU CAN FOLLOW WEATHER FORECAST UPDATES. TRACK RAIN ON RADAR AND CHECK OUR LIVE MAP FOR TRAVEL CONDITIONS.

Thanksgiving travel guide: Busiest travel times, live traffic cameras and roadway conditions

Thanksgiving is the busiest travel holiday, according to AAA Maryland.

Updated: 6:23 PM EST Nov 24, 2025

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More than 82 million Americans, including about 1.5 million Marylanders, are expected to travel 50 miles or longer for the Thanksgiving holiday, according to AAA Maryland. | LIVE MAP: Check Maryland traffic before you leaveMaryland Department of Transportation anticipates an increase of 1.6 million travelers compared to last Thanksgiving, which would be a new record.Most of the travelers — 73 million — will travel by car, while six million plan to fly, according to AAA. The rest will go by train, bus or boat, according to AAA’s annual holiday survey.MDOT urges everyone to keep safety top of mind ahead of the busy holiday travel season. “The holidays are a special time to be with family and friends, and we want everyone to get there safely,” said Samantha Biddle, acting secretary of MDOT. “Whether you’re driving across town or flying across the country, safety should always come first. Slow down, buckle up, avoid distractions and give yourself extra time to get where you’re going safely.”Video below: Travelers using alternate modes of transportation for ThanksgivingMDOT said drivers can expect peak congestion on Maryland’s highways the following days and times:Tuesday, Nov. 25, from 6-10 a.m. and between 2-7 p.m.Wednesday, Nov. 26, from 2-7 p.m.Sunday, Nov. 30, from 2-6 p.m.MDOT said the State Highway Administration will suspend non-emergency lane closures starting Wednesday and going until 9 a.m. Dec. 2.Click the link to view live traffic cameras and real-time roadway conditions.

BALTIMORE —

More than 82 million Americans, including about 1.5 million Marylanders, are expected to travel 50 miles or longer for the Thanksgiving holiday, according to AAA Maryland.

| LIVE MAP: Check Maryland traffic before you leave

Maryland Department of Transportation anticipates an increase of 1.6 million travelers compared to last Thanksgiving, which would be a new record.

Most of the travelers — 73 million — will travel by car, while six million plan to fly, according to AAA. The rest will go by train, bus or boat, according to AAA’s annual holiday survey.

MDOT urges everyone to keep safety top of mind ahead of the busy holiday travel season.

“The holidays are a special time to be with family and friends, and we want everyone to get there safely,” said Samantha Biddle, acting secretary of MDOT. “Whether you’re driving across town or flying across the country, safety should always come first. Slow down, buckle up, avoid distractions and give yourself extra time to get where you’re going safely.”

Video below: Travelers using alternate modes of transportation for Thanksgiving

MDOT said drivers can expect peak congestion on Maryland’s highways the following days and times:

• Tuesday, Nov. 25, from 6-10 a.m. and between 2-7 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 26, from 2-7 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 30, from 2-6 p.m.

MDOT said the State Highway Administration will suspend non-emergency lane closures starting Wednesday and going until 9 a.m. Dec. 2.

Click the link to view live traffic cameras and real-time roadway conditions.