Record Thanksgiving Traffic: Los Angeles Freeways Gridlocked as 81.8 Million Americans Travel for Holiday

Rush-hour traffic has become a traditional Thanksgiving spectacle in Los Angeles.

Extensive traffic congestion stretched for miles across Los Angeles freeways on Wednesday as travelers embarked on journeys for what's anticipated to be one of the busiest Thanksgiving holidays ever recorded. Aerial footage from Fox 11 News revealed a sea of red brake lights on one side of the highway where vehicles were barely moving, while the opposite direction showed swiftly moving traffic with yellow headlights creating a striking visual contrast.

"The vast majority of people during Thanksgiving week are traveling by car," explained an anchor as a drone captured footage over the East LA interchange. "All of them are departing this week. This coincides with regular rush hour traffic as well."

This intense rush-hour congestion has evolved into a predictable Thanksgiving tradition in Los Angeles. Recently, an older video resurfaced on X showing severe traffic buildup along West LA's 405 and 10 freeways.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) estimates a record 81.8 million Americans will travel at least 80 km from their homes during the seven-day holiday period, representing an increase of 1.6 million travelers compared to the previous year. Nearly 90 percent are expected to choose driving as their transportation method, which will result in significant congestion, particularly Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, and throughout Sunday.

Motorists are enjoying relatively stable gasoline prices, with a national average of $3.06 per gallon, and more affordable car rental rates, which have reportedly decreased approximately 15 percent from last year. Wednesday will experience peak demand for rental car pickups, especially in Orlando, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Newark.

With millions of people traveling, roadside assistance services will likely face high demand. During last Thanksgiving, AAA responded to nearly 600,000 emergency calls.

Thanksgiving consistently remains the nation's busiest travel period, exceeding both Memorial Day and the Fourth of July holidays.