Over 3.4 million Virginians expected to travel for holidays, officials say

It’s possible that over 3.4 million Virginians travel this holiday season, AAA predicts.

Between Dec. 20 and Jan 1, AAA predicts that a record-setting 3.4 million people will travel 50 or more miles for the holidays.

“The year-end holidays are a great time to get in one more trip before the calendar flips to the new year. It might be a trip to see friends and family, or it might be a vacation to a warmer destination before the coldest days of the winter arrive. Roads, airports and cruise ports will all be busy during the final days of 2025.”

Morgan Dean, AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson for Virginia

Of those traveling, AAA believes over 3 million will be driving, while over 180,000 will likely be flying. Just under 200,000 are expected to use other means of travel.

Last year, around 3.34 million Virginians traveled for the holidays, which was up 3.7% since 2019.

If you’re one of the millions of people traveling by car, driving in the early morning and late evening is ideal, as traffic is typically worse between 11:00 a.m. and 8 p.m., depending on the day. Traffic is expected to be minimal on Christmas Eve and Christmas, as well as New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

Stay safe when traveling this season!