Traffic & Transit
Best, Worst Times To Travel In California For Christmas 2022
Nearly 15 million Californians are expected to travel from Dec. 23 through Jan. 2, a 3.7 percent rise from last year, according to AAA data.
CALIFORNIA — If you expect on traveling this holiday season, plan ahead, and practice taking long, deep breaths.
AAA predicts that 2022 will be the third busiest year of travel since it began tracking in 2000, and the second busiest year in California.
Nearly 15 million Californians are expected to travel from Dec. 23 through Jan. 2, a 3.7 percent rise from last year, according to AAA data. Christmas and New Year’s Day both fall on a Sunday, Hanukkah will overlap with Christmas, and vaccines are widely available.
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Nationwide, AAA expects 113 million Americans to travel 50 miles or more away from home. Of those, nearly 102 million will travel by car, an increase of nearly two percent from 2021, and about 7.2 million will fly, an increase of 14 percent from 2021. That is almost on par with pre-pandemic levels of 2019, when 7.3 million Americans traveled by air.
California airports are expecting big crowds. San Francisco International Airport estimated that about five million travelers will pass through between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, about 85% of the 2019 holiday season. LAX, meanwhile, predicts 200,000 travelers a day from Dec. 16 until Jan. 3, and 89,000 vehicles a day from Dec. 19-21. Oakland International Airport anticipates over 670,000 visitors between Friday and Jan. 3, an increase of ten percent from last year.
Find out what's happening in Across Californiafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
If you’re one of the 102 million Americans traveling by car, consider leaving in the early morning or night. Here are the best and worst times to travel, according to AAA:
| DATE | WORST TRAVEL TIME | BEST TRAVEL TIME |
| Dec. 23 | 4-7 p.m. | Before 2 p.m., after 8 p.m. |
| Dec. 24 | 12-6 p.m. | Before 11 a.m., after 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 25 | Minimal traffic expected | Minimal traffic expected |
| Dec. 26 | 2-6 p.m. | Before 12 p.m., after 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 27 | 3-7 p.m. | Before 2 p.m., after 8 p.m. |
| Dec. 28 | 3-7 p.m. | Before 2 p.m., after 8 p.m. |
| Dec. 29 | 3-7 p.m. | Before 2 p.m., after 8 p.m. |
| Dec. 30 | 3-7 p.m. | Before 2 p.m., after 8 p.m. |
| Dec. 31 | Minimal traffic expected | Minimal traffic expected |
| Jan. 1 | Minimal traffic expected | Minimal traffic expected |
| Jan. 2 | 4-7 p.m. | Before 3 p.m., after 8 p.m. |
However you plan to travel, here are some tips to make life a little easier:
- Check the forecast. Christmas is expected to be unseasonably warm, particularly in Los Angeles, where a high of 76 degrees is expected.
- Plan for delays. Drivers can expect up to 25 percent longer travel times nationwide, according to AAA.
- Travel during off-peak periods (before 2 p.m. or after 8 p.m.).
- Get a pre-trip inspection.
- Find the lowest gas prices through the AAA mobile app.
- Arrive at least two hours prior to departure at the airport.
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