Best Times To Travel This Holiday Season In Ohio

OHIO — Ohioans planning a holiday trip can expect plenty of company on the roads and in the skies.

Travel organization AAA is predicting holiday travel will hit pre-pandemic levels in Ohio and across the U.S. Approximately 4.4 million Ohioans are expected to travel between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2, AAA said.

“Americans who canceled their vacations in 2020 want to gather with family and friends for the holidays this year, although they will still be mindful of the pandemic and the new omicron variant,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. “With vaccines widely available, conditions are much different and many people feel a greater level of comfort with travel.”

Holiday Road

The most popular form of holiday travel will still be the road trip, AAA said. Nearly 92 percent of Ohioans, roughly 4 million people, who have planned a trip will use their car to get to their destination.

There should only be minor delays due to construction and jammed traffic during the Dec. 23 through Jan. 2 window, AAA said, but certain days and times will be worse to travel, particularly in metro areas.

Christmas Day and New Year's Day will both have minimal traffic congestion, the organization expects. Here are the best and worst times to travel on surrounding days:

• Dec. 23
  • Best time: After 7 p.m.
  • Worst time: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Dec. 24
  • Best time: Before 1 p.m.
  • Worst time: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Dec. 26
  • Best time: Before 12 p.m.
  • Worst time: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Dec. 27
  • Best time: Before 1 p.m.
  • Worst time: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Dec. 28
  • Best time: Before 12 p.m.
  • Worst time: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Dec. 29
  • Best time: Before 11 a.m.
  • Worst time: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Dec. 30
  • Best time: Before 12 p.m.
  • Worst time: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Dec. 31
  • Best time: Before 1 p.m. or after 5 p.m.
  • Worst time: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Jan. 2
  • Best time: Before 1 p.m.
  • Worst time: Between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Flying Out of Here

Nearly 232,000 Ohioans are expected to fly somewhere this holiday season, AAA estimated. That would be a 181 percent increase from last year and nearly 90 percent of pre-pandemic air travel levels.

Here are the most popular travel destinations this year:

1. Orlando, FL
2. Anaheim, CA
3. Las Vegas, NV
4. New York, NY; Kahului, Maui, HI (tie)
5. Honolulu, HI
6. Miami, FL
7. Fort Lauderdale, FL
8. Tampa, FL
9. Phoenix, AZ
10. San Diego, CA

Ohioans are primarily traveling to spots in Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico and Hawaii, AAA said.