Busiest Travel Day Is Here Between Christmas And New Year’s: What To Know In MD

Maryland residents traveling for the holidays can expect to encounter record crowds on the roads and in airports during what’s projected to be a record end-of-the-year travel season.

AAA projects 122.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home over the 13-day year-end holiday period beginning Saturday and continuing through Jan. 1. That’s a 2.2 percent increase from last year’s record of 119.7 million travelers.

More than 109.5 million Americans, 2 percent more than last year, are expected to take road trips. Another 8.03 million will take domestic flights during the holiday travel period. That’s up 2.3 percent from last year.

The 89 percent of holiday travelers hitting the road will generally pay less for gas than they did last year, when the national average was around $3.04 a gallon. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline on Thursday was $2.90, according to AAA. In Maryland, regular gas was selling for an average of $2.83 a gallon on Wednesday.

AAA said this is the first time in four years that the national average dropped below $3 a gallon, and that prices could continue to drop as 2025 draws to a close.

INRIX, a transportation data company, expects travel during Christmas week to be busier than during New Year’s week, but said traffic will be heavier than normal throughout the 13-day period.

If possible, Maryland travelers should avoid the Baltimore/Washington Parkway on Saturday, Dec. 20, around 4:15 p.m.

In general, these are the worst and best times to travel during the holiday period:

• Saturday, Dec 20: noon-8 p.m. (worst); after 9 p.m. (best)
• Sunday, Dec. 21: 1-7 p.m. (worst); before 11 a.m. (best)
• Monday, Dec. 22: 1-7 p.m. (worst); before 10 a.m. (best)
• Tuesday, Dec. 23: 1-7 p.m. (worst); before 10 a.m. (best)
• Wednesday, Dec 24: Minimal traffic impact expected
• Thursday, Dec 25: Minimal traffic impact expected
• Friday, Dec. 26: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. (worst); before 11 a.m. (best)
• Saturday, Dec. 27: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. (worst); before 11 a.m. (best)
• Sunday, Dec. 28: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. (worst); before 11 a.m. (best)
• Monday, Dec. 29: noon-8 p.m. (worst); before 10 a.m. (best)
• Tuesday, Dec. 30: noon-7 p.m. (worst); before 10 a.m. (best)
• Wednesday, Dec. 31: minimal traffic impact expected
• Thursday, Jan. 1: minimal traffic impact expected

Bay Bridge construction during holiday travel

The westbound span may be closed Sunday, Dec. 21, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following morning and Monday, Dec. 22, and Tuesday, Dec. 23, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following morning for maintenance work.

Two-way traffic will operate on the eastbound span during the full westbound span closures. One lane of the eastbound span may be closed Monday, Dec. 22, and Tuesday, Dec. 23, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for maintenance work. Two-way traffic will operate on the westbound span.

There are no scheduled lane closures between Dec. 24–26 and Dec. 31–Jan. 1.

The westbound span of the bridge may be closed for maintenance work:

• Saturday, Dec. 27, from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. the following morning
• Sunday, Dec. 28, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following morning
• Monday, Dec. 29, and Tuesday, Dec. 30, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following mornings,
• Friday, Jan. 2, from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. the following morning
• Saturday, Jan. 3, from 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. the following morning

Two-way traffic will operate on the eastbound span during the full westbound span closures.
One lane of the eastbound span may be closed Monday, Dec. 29, and Tuesday, Dec. 30, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Friday, Jan. 2, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for maintenance work. Two-way traffic will operate on the westbound span.

Get to the airport early

AAA expects 2025 to be the first time on record that the number of domestic air travelers over the year-end holiday period exceeds 8 million.

According to AAA data, which is based on what travelers paid when they booked their holiday trips, a roundtrip domestic flight is 7 percent more expensive this year, averaging nearly $900 a ticket. The days leading up to Christmas Day are the most expensive, while flying on the holiday itself is cheaper.

New Year’s flights are also pricey, with many people returning home on New Year’s Day or even squeezing one extra weekend out of the holiday season and coming back on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Travelers should be prepared for long security lines at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, as well as Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia.

It’s a good idea to arrive two or three hours early on busy days like Dec. 20-21 and Dec. 27-28. Delays are always a possibility, so use airline apps for updates.

Lines could be longest at major U.S. hubs like JFK, LAX, MIA, SFO, DFW and SEA, especially this weekend and the day after Christmas as people head to warm spots with the family.

The top 10 domestic travel destinations this holiday season are:

1. Orlando, Florida
2. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
3. Miami, Florida
4. Anaheim-Los Angeles, California
5. Honolulu, Hawaii
6. Tampa, Florida
7. New York City
8. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
9. Las Vegas, Nevada

Top international destinations are:

1. Cancun, Mexico
2. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
3. Cozumel, Mexico
4. San Jose, Costa Rica
5. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico,
6. San Juan, Puerto Rico
7. Nassau, Bahamas
8. Rome, Italy
9. Oranjestad, Aruba
10. Sydney, Australia

Weather forecast for holiday travel

Marylanders who will be traveling in the five days leading up to the Christmas holiday can expect favorable weather for hitting the highway.

According to The Weather Channel, on Dec. 20 Marylanders can expect mostly sunny skies with a high of 42 degrees then a slight uptick in temperature Sunday, Dec. 21, with a high of 55 degrees.

On Monday, Dec. 22, temps drop to a high of 37, but skies will remain mostly sunny. Tuesday, Dec. 23, the forecast turns to cloudy with a high of 46 degrees.

Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, will pop back up to 50 degrees for the temp with partly cloudy skies. The sun shines brightly on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, with a high of 47 degrees, but there is a chance of morning showers.

The National Weather Service explained that the long-term forecast will be dominated primarily by surface high pressure building over the forecast area, bringing dry conditions across the area through early next week. On Tuesday, a potent low pressure system tracks across the Great Lakes into Canada, pushing a cold front into the state, slightly bolstering precipitation chances.

The last time Maryland had at least an inch of snow on the ground on Christmas Day was in 2009 when 6 inches of snow was recorded in the Baltimore metro, according to a report looking at the historical odds of a white Christmas.

Past weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggests the probability of a white Christmas is about 11 to 25 percent in the Baltimore metro.