NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WVEC) — If it seemed like there were more cars than usual on the road Wednesday, there probably were.
An estimated 1.5 million Virginians are hitting the road Thanksgiving.
Irwin Porter and his wife are trying to get out of Newport News a fast as they can. They're headed to Maryland to see their daughter. They know what stands between them and their daughter is traffic.
“That's why I'm leaving early to get there before everyone else gets on the road,” Porter said.
The Thanksgiving holiday rush is the biggest since 2005. AAA said 48.5 million people across the country are driving this Thanksgiving. That's up almost 5 percent from last year.
91 percent of all travelers are planning a Thanksgiving road trip, like Jackson Wall. He also got a full tank before driving up to Northern Virginia, where his parents live.
“It's normally pretty good, 64 is okay, 295 is good, but 95 it's always that one stretch that gets me,” Wall said. “I just dread traffic.”
There are a few reasons behind the increase of drivers on the road for the second year in a row. AAA said economic growth remains strong, and unemployment is expected to decrease almost 4%.
Drivers like Porter they like their chances this holiday.
“I'm expecting a lot of traffic, but I am taking a route I hope isn't as crowded as the interstate,” Porter said.
AAA said the best days to travel are Thursday, Friday or Saturday. It may take you a little longer to get home on Sunday because that's when most people are driving back.
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