SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — A busy, potentially record-setting travel week will begin in earnest Tuesday with trains, planes and automobiles heading to and from San Diego County for the Thanksgiving holiday.
San Diego airport traffic
Between Tuesday and Sunday, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority estimates that SAN will see around 460,000 people traveling through the airport. During the six busiest days, an estimated 76,000 people will head through the airport daily.
The estimates are roughly 4% to 6% more than last year at the same time, according to the airport authority. The busiest days will be Tuesday and Wednesday before the holiday and Sunday following.
For those heading to San Diego International to pick up or drop off, expect delays on North Harbor Drive near West Laurel Street and Anchor Island both from heavy traffic and the airport's Terminal 1 project with ongoing construction. The busiest times curbside will be 4 a.m. to 6:15 a.m., 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. to midnight.
To help avoid holiday travel woes, the airport authority offered some tips:
- Arrive at least two hours early to avoid the busiest times
- Make parking reservations at www.san.org/parking
- Take the free San Diego Flyer shuttle service between the Old Town Transit Station and SAN. The electric shuttle buses operate seven days a week, with an average arrival time of every 20 to 30 minutes. The first pickup is at 4:45 a.m. and the last pickup/drop off at 12:30 a.m.
- Have family or friends drop you off or use ride-hailing services
San Diego Amtrak, MTS travel
Amtrak expects to have its busiest week of the year and heavy traffic on the roads should be expected, with the American Automobile Association predicting nearly 80 million Americans traveling more than 50 miles from their home this year -- 1.7 million more than last year and 2 million more than in 2019.
The Metropolitan Transit System has announced that buses and trolleys will operate on a reduced Thanksgiving holiday schedule on Thursday, while regular service will resume on Friday.
On Thursday, all trolley lines and bus routes will operate on a Sunday schedule, MTS officials said. Also on Thursday:
- There will be no service on Rapid Express Routes 280 or 290 and Rural Routes 888, 891 and 894;
- Rural Route 892 will not operate on Thanksgiving;
- MTS Access subscription passengers needing service must call ahead of time to arrange transportation;
- Holiday travelers can benefit from direct connections to the main airport through Route 992 next to the Santa Fe Depot, or the San Diego Airport Flyer from the Old Town Transit Center.
MTS will also offer its Friends Ride Free on Thursday, where one guest of a fare-paying passenger may ride free.
All trolley lines on Friday will operate on a normal weekday schedule, along with urban and local bus routes.
MTS' Information and Trip Planning office and PRONTO Support Center are open until 5 p.m. Wednesday, but will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.
The Transit Store and Customer Service offices will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. According to the MTS, all support services offices will be open on Friday.
San Diego County highway traffic
Are you hitting the road for the Thanksgiving holiday, maybe you’re headed to celebrate in a different town or ditching the holiday festivities and driving to a vacation destination. No matter the reason, here’s some information that may help your travel schedule.
AAA reports that nearly 80 million travelers will drive 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday period. And for the first time, AAA’s travel forecast includes the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving Day.
In Southern California, the peak congestion times identified by AAA, include these areas: southbound Interstate 15 from Palm Springs to San Diego on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 4:45 p.m. and northbound Interstate 5 from Los Angeles to Bakersfield on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 7:45 p.m.
If you're looking for a light traffic day, Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 28 could be your best bet.
Here are the best and worst times to be on the roadways.
Worst Travel Times
- Tuesday, Nov. 26 | 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 27 | 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 28 | Minimal traffic is expected
- Friday, Nov. 29 | 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 30 | 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 1 | 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Monday, Dec. 2 | 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Best Travel Times
- Wednesday, Nov. 27 | Before 10:00 a.m.
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 28 | Minimal traffic is expected
- Friday, Nov. 29 | After 1:00 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 30 | Before 1:00 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 1 | Before 1:00 p.m.
- Monday, Dec. 2 | Before 8:00 a.m. and after 7:00 p.m.