Christmas, New Year’s Travel: Best, Worst Times To Hit The Road In IL

ILLINOIS — If you’re among an estimated 102 million motorists expected to be on the road during the year-end holiday travel season, make it easy on yourself by planning the best time to get out of the Chicago area.

The bulk of holiday travelers will be on the nation’s highways — about 2 million more than in 2021 — AAA said of what’s expected to be the third-busiest end-of-the-year holiday travel season since it began tracking volume in 2000.

Overall, the AAA auto club and its transportation analytics and insights data partner, INRIX, estimate that 112.7 million people will travel 50 or more miles during the holiday period, which this year spans from Friday, Dec. 23, through Monday, Jan. 2.

“With pre-pandemic levels of travelers hitting the road this holiday, drivers must be prepared for delays in and around major metro areas, with Tuesday, December 27 expected to be the nation’s worst day to travel,” Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, said in a news release. “Our advice is to avoid traveling during peak commuting hours. If schedules allow, leave bright and early or after the afternoon commute.”

Peak congestion in the Chicago is expected to be between 4:45 and 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27, on I-290 East, Manheim Road to Paulina Street. Traffic is expected to be 75 percent higher than normal — a frightening thought for those of us who've experienced Chicago traffic on a typical day.

Plus, a bone-chilling blast of air from Siberia could make travel even more treacherous, as temperatures are expected to plummet in the Chicago area around Christmas.

Dec. 27 isn’t the only day to avoid, if possible. Holiday travelers trying to get to or from their destinations will mix in with work commuters in many major metropolitan areas on Friday, Dec. 23, and Monday, Jan. 2, AAA said.

In major metro areas such as Los Angeles and New York City, delays could double the typical amount of time stalled in traffic, according to the report. Nationwide, drivers could see travel times up to 25 percent longer if they’re traveling on those days.

According to AAA, here are the traffic increases expected in some of Chicagoland's busiest corridors:

• I-94 East, Exit 68B to Exit 52B - traffic is expected to be 25 percent higher than normal on Thursday, Dec. 29
• I-94 West, Exit 16 to Exit 160 - traffic is expected to be 13 percent higher than normal on Tuesday, Dec. 27
• I-294 South, Exit 27B to Exit 17B - traffic is expected to be 12 percent higher than normal on Tuesday, Dec. 27
• I-94 West, Exit 219 to Exit 210 - traffic is expected to be 27 percent higher than normal on Monday, Jan. 2, 2023
• US-23 North, Exit 53 to Exit 60A - traffic is expected to be 22 percent higher than normal on Friday, Dec. 23

Of course, it may not be possible to avoid those times. In general, the worst and best times to travel are:

• Friday, Dec. 23: worst times 4-7 p.m.; best times before 2 p.m., after 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 24: worst times 12-6 p.m.; best times before 11 a.m., after 7 p.m.
• Sunday, Dec. 25: minimal traffic expected
• Monday, Dec. 26: worst times 2-6 p.m.; best times before noon, after 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, Dec. 27: worst times 3-7 p.m.; best times before 2 p.m., after 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 28: worst times 3-7 p.m.; best times before 2 p.m., after 8 p.m.
• Thursday, Dec. 29: worst times 3-7 p.m.; best times before 2 p.m., after 8 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 30: worst times 3-7 p.m.; best times before 2 p.m., after 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 31: minimal traffic expected
• Sunday, Jan. 1: minimal traffic expected
• Monday, Jan. 2: worst times 4-7 p.m.; best times before 3 p.m., after 8 p.m.

Airports will be busy as well, with nearly 7.2 million Americans expected to fly, an increase of 14 percent from last year. It could come close to matching 2019 numbers, when 7.3 million Americans traveled by air, AAA said.

Demand for travel has surged despite higher gas prices and airline ticket prices over the past year.

“If the distance is not reasonable to drive, more people are taking to the air to maximize the time spent at their destination,” Paula Twiddle, AAA’s senior vice president of travel, said in a news release. “Conversely, if the travel distances are reasonable and more than one or two people in the household are taking the trip, it may be more cost-effective to drive rather than buy multiple air tickets, rent a car, and spend too much money before the fun even begins.”

The number of people traveling to their destinations by bus, train or ship is also up 23 percent last year, to 3.6 million people, nearly 94 percent of the 2019’s volume in those categories.

Want more holiday fun and must-read seasonal info? Find it on Patch:

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• Where To See Santa In The Chicago Area
• Where To Cut Down Your Own Christmas Tree 2022: Illinois Tree Farms
• Christmas Shipping Deadlines To Know In IL: Post Office, FedEx, UPS