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TRAVEL

Thanksgiving travel will make these 10 airports the busiest

By Madeline Farber Fox News
Published
An estimated 54 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home this turkey day.

An estimated 54 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home this turkey day. (iStock)

With Thanksgiving just days away, people across the country are gearing up for holiday travel.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) says an estimated 54.3 million Americans will travel "50 miles or more away from home" this turkey day, marking "the highest Thanksgiving travel volume in more than a dozen years (since 2005), with 2.5 million more people taking to the nation’s roads, skies, rails and waterways compared with last year."

All of that travel will make for busy airports — with Atlanta, Los Angeles and Chicago being three of the most hectic during Thanksgiving week, according to data from travel companies Hopper and InsureMyTrip.

The busiest day for outgoing travel will be the day before Thanksgiving, Nov. 21, while the busiest day to return (full of stuffing and pie) will be Sunday, Nov. 25, the companies said.

Read on for a look at the airports that are likely to be the busiest Thanksgiving week, based on the “volume of scheduled departures."

Atlanta (ATL)

The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is projected to be the busiest airport this year, catering to an estimated 1,263,168 passengers. The busiest time will likely be 8 a.m. (local time), according to the data.

Los Angeles (LAX)

The Los Angeles International Airport is second on the list, with an estimated 1,074,752 outbound passengers and busiest time of 7:00 a.m. (local time).

Chicago (ORD)

Chicago O’Hare International Airport is next on the list, with an estimated 1,057,482 outbound passengers. The busiest estimated time of travel is 6:00 p.m. (local time), according to the data.

Dallas (DFW)

The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is slated to be the fourth busiest, with 828,891 outbound passengers. The busiest time will likely be 9:00 a.m. (local time).

Denver (DEN)

The Denver International Airport will likely have 787,629 outgoing passengers with the busiest time of 10:00 a.m. (local time).

New York (JFK)

John F. Kennedy International Airport will have an estimated 781,953 passengers with a busy time around 6:00 p.m. (local time).

San Francisco (SFO)

Seventh on the list is the San Francisco International Airport, which will have roughly 714,796 outbound passengers. The busiest time will be 12:00 p.m. (local time).

Charlotte (CLT)

The Charlotte Douglas International Airport will have an estimated 614,779 outbound passengers with a busy time at 8:00 a.m. (local time).

Orlando (MCO)

The Orlando International Airport will be the ninth busiest this year, with an estimated 603,100 outbound passengers and busiest time of 6:00 a.m. (local time).

Seattle (SEA)

Tenth on the list is the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which will have an estimated 590,938 outbound passengers during Thanksgiving week. The busiest time will be 6:00 a.m. (local time).