Thanksgiving travel in 2026 centers on Thursday 26 November, and last year's peak was the Sunday after, when the TSA screened 3,134,613 people. The quietest air day was Thanksgiving Day itself, at 1,559,165 people. On the road, the worst hours were Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.
Status as of 5 November 2026: AAA has not published its 2026 Thanksgiving forecast, and we found none from the TSA or the FAA. Amtrak has posted its plan: its 3 November 2026 release adds cars and extra trains from 20 to 30 November. Where there is no 2026 figure, this page gives the 2025 one and labels it as last year's.
When is Thanksgiving 2026, and is there a forecast yet?
Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November, so in 2026 it falls on Thursday 26 November. The big travel forecasts usually come out about 9 days before.
Note: Date: Thursday 26 November 2026. AAA's newsroom showed no Thanksgiving 2026 forecast on 5 November 2026. Its newest post that day was a gas price update of 5 November 2026 (read 5 Nov 2026)
| Forecaster | 2025 forecast published | 2026 forecast status (5 Nov 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| AAA | 17 Nov 2025 | Not published |
| TSA | 21 Nov 2025 | Not found (TSA site blocked our reader) |
| FAA | Before 25 Nov 2025 | Not found |
| Amtrak | 30 Oct 2025 | Published 3 Nov 2026 |
Note: AAA published its 2024 forecast on 18 November 2024 and its 2025 forecast on 17 November 2025 (AAA 2024 release, AAA 2025 release, read 4 Nov 2026)
Do not plan around a 2026 number yet. Plan around the shape of last year: a rush on Tuesday and Wednesday, a quiet Thursday, and a bigger rush on Sunday.
So, the date is 26 November 2026, and only Amtrak has posted its 2026 plan so far.
What were the busiest days to fly last Thanksgiving?
The Sunday after Thanksgiving was the busiest day at TSA checkpoints in 2025. Thanksgiving Day was the quietest by far.
Note: Last year, 2025. TSA 2025 passenger volume page, read 12 Oct 2026 and again in a browser 5 Nov 2026. Daily people screened: Fri 21 Nov 2,792,495. Sat 22 Nov 2,482,593. Sun 23 Nov 2,617,142. Mon 24 Nov 2,563,877. Tue 25 Nov 2,675,261. Wed 26 Nov 2,753,036. Thu 27 Nov (Thanksgiving) 1,559,165. Fri 28 Nov 2,392,036. Sat 29 Nov 2,696,816. Sun 30 Nov 3,134,613. Mon 1 Dec 2,893,451. Tue 2 Dec 2,233,828. Wed 3 Dec 2,125,688
| Last year (2025) | People screened | Same weekday in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Tue 25 Nov | 2,675,261 | Tue 24 Nov |
| Wed 26 Nov, day before | 2,753,036 | Wed 25 Nov |
| Thu 27 Nov, Thanksgiving | 1,559,165 | Thu 26 Nov |
| Fri 28 Nov | 2,392,036 | Fri 27 Nov |
| Sat 29 Nov | 2,696,816 | Sat 28 Nov |
| Sun 30 Nov, the peak | 3,134,613 | Sun 29 Nov |
| Mon 1 Dec | 2,893,451 | Mon 30 Nov |
| Tue 2 Dec | 2,233,828 | Tue 1 Dec |
The right-hand column is our own mapping by weekday. It is not a forecast.
Note: TSA news release of 21 Nov 2025 expected more than 17.8 million people from Tue 25 Nov to Tue 2 Dec 2025, and more than 3 million on Sun 30 Nov (TSA, read 12 Oct 2026; the TSA site blocked our reader on 4 Nov 2026)
Note: Per a 1 December 2025 ABC News report, the TSA called Sunday 30 November 2025 the busiest day in its history. The earlier record was about 3.09 million on Sunday 22 June 2025 (read 4 Nov 2026)
Note: The FAA said it handled more than 313,000 flights from 25 November to 1 December 2025. Its busiest day was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, with more than 52,000 flights (FAA bulletin of 3 Dec 2025, read 4 Nov 2026)
The TSA and FAA counts measure different things. The TSA counts people at checkpoints, and its peak was Sunday. The FAA counts flights, and its peak was Tuesday.
Price: AAA's 2025 forecast: a round trip on a US domestic flight averaged $700, about the same as 2024. AAA said flying on Thanksgiving Day itself is cheaper, and that return flights on Sunday and Monday push prices up (AAA 2025 release, read 4 Nov 2026)
So, last year the Sunday after had the most people at airports, and Thanksgiving Day had the fewest.
What are the worst times to drive for Thanksgiving?
Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons were the worst before the holiday in AAA's 2025 forecast. Thanksgiving Day itself had little traffic.
Note: AAA's 2025 forecast, released 17 Nov 2025, for Tue 25 Nov to Mon 1 Dec: 81.8 million travelers going at least 50 miles, 1.6 million more than the year before and a record. At least 73 million by car (about 90%), 6 million on domestic flights (up 2%), and nearly 2.5 million by bus, train or cruise (up 8.5%) (AAA, read 4 Nov 2026)
Note: AAA's 2024 forecast, for Tue 26 Nov to Mon 2 Dec 2024: 79.9 million travelers, 71.7 million by car, 5.84 million by air, nearly 2.3 million by other modes (AAA, read 4 Nov 2026)
| AAA forecast | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All travelers | 79.9 million | 81.8 million | Not published |
| By car | 71.7 million | 73 million or more | Not published |
| By air (domestic) | 5.84 million | 6 million | Not published |
| Bus, train, cruise | Nearly 2.3 million | Nearly 2.5 million | Not published |
Hours: INRIX times in AAA's 2025 release, local time, last year. Worst: Tue noon to 9 p.m., Wed 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fri 1 to 7 p.m., Sat 1 to 8 p.m., Sun 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mon noon to 8 p.m. Best: before noon Tue, before 11 a.m. Wed, before 11 a.m. Fri, before 10 a.m. Sat, before 11 a.m. Sun, after 8 p.m. Mon. Thanksgiving Day had minimal impact (same release, read 4 Nov 2026)
Note: INRIX's worst routes in 2025, versus a normal day: Washington DC to Baltimore (166% more delay), New York to the Hamptons (163%) and Los Angeles to Bakersfield (147%). AAA named Wednesday as the busiest car rental pickup day (same release)
Price: Gas, 2026: AAA put the national average for regular at $4.10 a gallon on 5 November 2026, down 12 cents in a week and more than $1 higher than a year before (AAA, 5 Nov 2026, read 5 Nov 2026). Last year AAA said gas was about $3.06 a gallon on Thanksgiving Day 2024
So, if you drive, leave before 11 a.m. on Wednesday or on Thursday morning, and expect to pay about $1 more per gallon than last year.
Is Amtrak busy at Thanksgiving 2026?
Yes. Amtrak calls Thanksgiving its busiest season, and it has already posted extra service for 2026.
Booking: Amtrak, 3 Nov 2026: book early for the best fares and guaranteed seats, because tickets are selling fast. In 2025 it carried more than 1.2 million customer trips over Thanksgiving, nearly 6% more than 2024, and it expects another record in 2026 (Amtrak Media, read 4 Nov 2026)
Getting there: Extra 2026 service: added cars on select Northeast Regional trains from 20 to 30 November, and 2 extra Northeast Regional round trips between Washington Union Station and New York Penn Station on 24, 25, 28 and 29 November. Amtrak says 15 NextGen Acela trains are now in service (same release)
Note: Last year, for comparison: Amtrak's release of 30 October 2025 added cars to Northeast Regional trains from 25 to 30 November 2025 only (Amtrak Media, read 4 Nov 2026)
The 2026 release names no busiest days. The extra round trips fall on the Tuesday and Wednesday before and the Saturday and Sunday after, which matches the road and air peaks above. You can book on Amtrak.com, in the Amtrak app, at station kiosks, at staffed stations, or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL.
So, Amtrak has added cars from 20 to 30 November 2026, and you should book now.
How do you avoid the Thanksgiving rush in 2026?
Use last year's counts as your guide. The 5 moves that matched the quietest times in 2025:
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Fly out on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday 26 November. It had 1,559,165 people at TSA checkpoints last year, the lowest in the window.
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Fly home on Friday 27 November or Tuesday 1 December. Those weekdays had 2,392,036 and 2,233,828 people last year.
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Avoid flying home on Sunday 29 or Monday 30 November. Those weekdays had 3,134,613 and 2,893,451 people last year.
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Drive before 11 a.m. on Wednesday 25 November, or on Thanksgiving morning.
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On the train, book a Northeast Regional seat now and pick one of the 2 extra round trips if your date matches.
So, travel on the holiday itself or the quiet days next to it, and skip the Sunday and Monday after.
What we checked and what can change
Read on 5 November 2026:
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AAA newsroom: no Thanksgiving 2026 forecast posted. Newest post: gas update of 5 November 2026.
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AAA gas update, 5 November 2026: regular at $4.10 a gallon, down 12 cents in a week, more than $1 above a year ago.
Read on 4 November 2026:
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Amtrak release, 3 November 2026: book early, 2025 ridership of more than 1.2 million trips, extra cars 20 to 30 November, extra round trips on 24 November, 25 November, 28 November and 29 November.
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Amtrak release, 30 October 2025: last year's extra cars, 25 to 30 November 2025.
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AAA 2025 forecast, 17 November 2025: 81.8 million travelers, mode split, $700 airfare, INRIX times and routes.
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AAA 2024 forecast, 18 November 2024: 79.9 million travelers and the mode split.
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FAA bulletin, 3 December 2025: more than 313,000 flights from 25 November to 1 December 2025, busiest day Tuesday with more than 52,000 flights.
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ABC News report, 1 December 2025: TSA called 30 November 2025 its busiest day.
Read on 12 October 2026: the TSA passenger volume page (the 2025 daily counts) and the TSA news release of 21 November 2025. On 5 November 2026 we re-read the 2025 counts page in a browser, and every daily count from 22 November to 1 December 2025 matched (21 November was not re-read). The news release was not re-read.
Not confirmed: any 2026 forecast from AAA, the TSA, the FAA or an airline, and 2026 airfares. The weekday mapping to 2026 dates is ours, not a forecast. Winter storms can change any day.
