Hitting the road for Thanksgiving? These are the best, worst times to drive in Massachusetts

NEWTON, Mass. — The Thanksgiving holiday marks the start of one of the busiest travel seasons of the year, and millions of Americans are preparing to hit the road. The big question: will the weather cooperate?

According to AAA, an estimated 73 million people will travel by car this week — about one million more than last year. Experts say traffic will be heaviest Tuesday afternoon through early evening, and again on Wednesday between mid-morning and late afternoon.

Travel experts recommend hitting the road early in the day, ideally before 10 or 11 a.m., to avoid the worst delays.

AAA says these are the best and worst times to drive:

Some families may opt to drive instead of flying, following recent flight cancellations that have disrupted air travel. That could mean even more congestion on major highways.

Specifically, AAA is predicting a 108% increase in congestion on Route 3 between Boston and Hyannis late Thanksgiving morning, with an estimated travel time of around two hours.

An Uber driver told Boston 25 News Sunday that he’s already been busy with riders traveling for the holiday.

“I’ve been working since 3 a.m.,” said Pablo Desa. " A lot of riders to Logan Airport."

Desa said he’s seen the worst of the traffic in Massachusetts while working and is now mentally preparing for the week ahead.

“The traffic is the worst every single day, but on holidays it’s worse, especially the people going out of state to New York,” Desa explained. “We don’t have rush hours anymore because traffic is all the time, especially 95, 93, and even the Mass Pike, because that construction is over there.”

Gas prices remain steady, offering a bit of good news for drivers. In Massachusetts, the current average is $3.041 per gallon, while the national average sits at $3.080 — nearly identical to last year’s average of $3.084.

Will the weather hold up for those hitting the roads? It’s mainly good news if you’re deciding to stay local for Thanksgiving. No major storms are going to prevent you from making the drive a few towns over or to see relatives in a neighboring state.

However, a system is arriving late Tuesday night and continuing through Wednesday, which may slow you down a little bit.

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