CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Michigan is bracing for record-breaking travel this Thanksgiving weekend, with nearly 2.3 million residents expected to hit the road, an increase of 50,000 from last year, according to AAA.
Thanksgiving Day itself is predicted to have less traffic on the roads, making it the best day to drive. For those traveling before then, AAA recommends leaving before 10 a.m. Wednesday.
On Black Friday, traffic peaks between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., and travelers should wait until after 1 p.m. to avoid congestion.
On Saturday and Sunday, the best times to drive are before 1 p.m., with the worst traffic times from 4 to 8 p.m.
On Monday, traffic will be heaviest from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., so drivers should plan to leave before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. to avoid delays.
AAA also offered two key tips: leave earlier than planned to avoid rushing and minimize distractions by setting up your GPS and playlist before getting on the road.
At Ford Airport, 148,000 passengers are expected over the holiday, a 5% increase from last year’s record. Wednesday will be the busiest day, with 13,000 travelers.
Airport officials recommend arriving two hours before departure to allow time for parking, bag check, and other preparations. Heidi Groenboom, who serves as a communications and events associate for the airport, also has a heads-up for those with flights early in the morning or later in the day.
“Some of the busier times are that morning rush for those 6 a.m. flights, and then mid-afternoon to the evening dinnertime hours,” she said.
Despite ongoing terminal renovations, Ford Airport has reopened one lane of traffic near the passenger drop-off area to help with congestion.
People flying over the Thanksgiving holiday were prepared for some slowdowns along the way.
“We left early this morning … about an hour commute and it was clear. The roads were filled but moving,” said Renee Canady, who was traveling to Georgia.
Canady was catching a flight to spend Thanksgiving with her son and daughter-in-law.
“Normally, we don’t travel — certainly not on Thanksgiving — but this is my oldest son’s first Thanksgiving as a husband and, so we’re going down to celebrate with him and his wife and her family,” Canady said.
Brad Nelson was returning home to Grand Rapids from Florida with his family.
“We just celebrated Thanksgiving, actually, down in Florida with my family. And now we’re coming back … we’re going to go to Traverse City tomorrow for my wife’s family,” Nelson said.
He says the return trip went faster than they anticipated.
“When we left, we were a little concerned, but we had a nice 6 a.m. flight on the way out. Travel was super easy. Went right through security, no waits, no lines. Our flight actually came in about 30 minutes earlier than we expected,” Nelson said.
The holiday had some getting into the festive spirit, with turkey hats and a sign to welcome their Thanksgiving guests.
“We wanted to make sure we greeted her with a sign, just because it’s her first time traveling alone and first time, you know, flying by herself,” said Nicole Gleeson, who was at the airport to pick up her sister. “So we wanted to just make something special to her.”
With snow in the forecast, many hope their return trip will go just as smoothly.
“We’re coming back on Saturday just in the hopes that we’ll miss, either it will come on Friday and they’ll clean it up, or it will happen on Sunday,” Canady said.