ROANOKE, Va. – Brace yourself for traffic: Nearly 44,000 more Virginians are expected to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday than last year.
AAA projects that 1.4 million Virginians will journey 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving holiday. This represents a 3.2 percent increase from 2016, and the most Thanksgiving travelers in Virginia since 2007.
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This increase is despite the recent rise in gas prices. This time last year, gas in Virginia was an average of 34 cents cheaper per gallon. The average price nationally has risen 43 cents since last year.
Nationwide, nearly 51 million will travel for the holiday weekend, according to AAA. This is the most travelers for the Thanksgiving holiday nationwide since 2005.
The Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as Wednesday, Nov. 22, to Sunday, Nov. 26.