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This Thanksgiving, more than two million New Jersey residents are expected to travel 50 miles or more, according to AAA. This marks an increase of nearly 44,000 travelers compared to 2023. The busiest travel days are anticipated to be the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving, with the least amount of traffic expected on Thanksgiving Day itself.
The AAA projects that a record 71.7 million people will travel by car over Thanksgiving, an increase of 1.3 million travelers on the road compared to last year. Gas prices are lower this Thanksgiving season compared to 2023, with the national average last Thanksgiving Day at $3.26 per gallon. Falling oil prices this autumn may push the national average below $3 a gallon for the first time since 2021.
In New Jersey, the average gas price is $2.98 per gallon, down nearly 31 cents from last year, according to NJBiz. AAA also estimates it will rescue nearly 565,500 stranded motorists nationwide during the holiday travel period, with nearly 17,000 expected in New Jersey.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey projects a record of more than 8.7 million travelers will traverse its airports and crossings during the peak Thanksgiving travel period, which is defined as from Nov. 25-Dec. 2. This includes more than 5.5 million vehicles using agency bridges and tunnels, which is consistent with 2023 volume.