- Shoppers headed to America’s busiest malls could see almost 90% extra travel time
- Drivers headed to major airports can expect more than a 20-minute delay
- Airport off-site parking could save travelers as much as 75% compared to onsite parking
Kirkland, WA—November 16, 2016—More than 40 million Americans took to the roads over the course of the Thanksgiving weekend last year.[1] With similar gas prices and a growing economy, drivers this year can expect travel times to more than double around major cities during the holiday weekend. Today, INRIX, the world leader in connected car services and transportation analytics, has released its annual Thanksgiving Traffic Forecast to predict the country’s busiest malls and airports.
Black Friday Mall Forecast
Although online shopping over the Thanksgiving weekend increased 17% year-over-year in 2015,[2] nearly 102 million consumers still left their their homes in search of the best in-store deals.[3] The INRIX Thanksgiving Traffic Forecast has identified some the busiest shopping centers across the U.S. and their anticipated congestion levels during the holiday weekend. INRIX found that suburban shopping centers will experience the highest travel times, up to almost 90% longer than normal.
“For consumers who want to spend the least amount of time driving to the malls, your best bet is to leave before 11:00 a.m.,” said Bob Pishue, senior economist at INRIX. “Shoppers should avoid midday and early afternoon when travel times could be more than double their normal length”
| Top 10 Busiest U.S. Shopping Centers | Worst Time for Traffic | Extra Time at Worst Hour |
| Roosevelt Field, Garden City, NY | 11AM – 1PM | 89% |
| Westfield Garden State Plaza, Paramus, NJ | 1PM – 6PM | 66% |
| Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, IL | 1PM – 7PM | 66% |
| Del Amo Fashion Center, Torrance, CA | 2PM – 4PM | 59% |
| The Galleria, Houston, TX | 3PM – 6PM | 54% |
| King of Prussia Mall, King of Prussia, PA | 12PM – 6PM | 53% |
| Bellevue Square, Bellevue, WA | 8AM – 11AM | 43% |
| Tysons Corner Center, Mclean, VA | 4PM – 6PM | 42% |
| Mall of America, Minneapolis, MN | 1:30PM – 3:30PM | 32% |
| Palisades Center, West Nyack, NY | 8AM – 10AM | 25% |
| Westfield, San Francisco, CA | 8AM – 11AM | 23% |
| Sawgrass Mills, Sunrise, FL | 8AM – 10AM | 18% |
Busiest U.S. Airports Predictions
For those flying out of town for the 4-day weekend, in addition to longer security lines, travelers must also account for increased driving times to the airport. Although congestion around most airports is expected to be better than last year, travelers could see delays as long as an hour more than normal.
“Historically, Thanksgiving has been the busiest weekend of the year to fly, and this year will be no different,” says Pishue. “Travelers should plan on commute times to airports to be about double longer than normal.”
| Metro Area | Airport Route | Worst Time
for Travel |
Freeflow Journey | Travel Time at Worst Hour |
| Chicago | Downtown to ORD
via Kennedy Exwy W |
7AM – 10AM | 23 min | 56 min |
| Los Angeles | Downtown to LAX
via I-110 S |
7AM – 9AM | 22 min | 47 min |
| Charlotte | Downtown to CLT
via US-74 W |
12PM – 2PM | 17 min | 46 min |
| Seattle | Downtown to SEA
via I-5 S |
8AM – 11AM | 19 min | 35 min |
| New York | Downtown to JFK
via Long Island Exwy E |
1PM – 3PM | 24 min | 32 min |
| Dallas | Downtown to DFW
via TX-183 W |
3PM – 6PM | 19 min | 32 min |
| Denver | Downtown to DIA
via I-70 E and Pena Blvd |
5PM – 7PM | 25 min | 30 min |
| Miami | Downtown to MIA
via Dolphin Exwy W |
4PM – 6PM | 8 min | 26 min |
| Houston | Downtown to HIA
via US-59 N |
3PM – 6PM | 18 min | 23 min |
| San Francisco | Downtown to SFO
via US-101 S |
3PM – 6PM | 13 min | 19 min |
| Phoenix | Downtown to PHX
via I-10 E |
3PM – 6PM | 11 min | 18 min |
| Las Vegas | Downtown to LAS
via I-15 S |
1PM – 6PM | 10 min | 15 min |
| Atlanta | Downtown to ALT
via I-75 S |
10AM – 12PM | 10 min | 12 min |
Airport Parking Rates
The cost of parking at or near airports presents its own levels of frustration. Travelers should consider comparing the costs of onsite and offsite parking options. For example, parking offsite at Seattle, New York, San Francisco and Miami airports could cost 75% less than at terminal lots.
INRIX Parking looked at prices at or near the busiest airports for the holiday. The below is based on the cost of parking for five days:
| Airport | Onsite Minimum Spend | Offsite Minimum Spend |
| Chicago O’Hare Int’l | $50 | $35 |
| Los Angeles Int’l | $60 | $30 |
| Charlotte/Douglas Int’l | $25 | $20 |
| Seattle-Tacoma Int’l | $140 | $63 |
| New York JFK Int’l | $165 | $75 |
| Dallas/Ft. Worth Int’l | $45 | $30 |
| Denver Int’l | $65 | $23 |
| Miami Int’l | $85 | $19 |
| Houston George Bush Int’l | $28 | $35 |
| San Francisco Int’l | $125 | $50 |
| Phoenix Sky Harbor Int’l | $35 | $40 |
| Las Vegas McCarran Int’l | $80 | $35 |
| Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Int’l | $45 | $43 |
For drivers that want the latest travel information during the Thanksgiving weekend, the INRIX Traffic app (Android and iOS) proactively monitors road conditions to alert drivers of ideal departure times, changes to arrival times and optimal routes. It also offers drivers real-time parking location and reservation capabilities.
Traffic Forecast Methodology
INRIX analyzed the Thanksgiving holiday periods from 2010 to 2015, traffic trends from major national holiday weekends in 2015 and current traffic trends to predict what drivers might expect over the upcoming holiday weekend. In measuring the shifts in traffic congestion over this period, INRIX uses a common measure for congestion called the Travel Time Index referred to in our research as a percentage representing the amount of delay drivers can expect on these days due to traffic.
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About INRIX
INRIX is the global leader in connected car services and transportation analytics, a new approach that leverages big data and the cloud to help manage urban mobility. By aggregating a variety of sources and applying intelligence, INRIX delivers comprehensive data and solutions to help move people, cities and businesses forward. Our partners are automakers, governments, mobile operators, developers, advertisers, as well as enterprises large and small.
Media Contact
INRIX Americas: Mark Burfiend
425-284-3825
[1] https://newsroom.aaa.com/2015/11/drivers-to-pay-lowest-thanksgiving-gas-prices-since-2008/
[2] https://blogs.adobe.com/conversations/2015/12/cyber-monday-2015-largest-online-sales-day-ever.html
[3] https://nrf.com/media/press-releases/thanksgiving-weekend-shopping-brings-big-store-and-online-crowds-according-nrf
