What will Holiday Travel be end of 2025?
This overview was prepared by the Travel Insights Team in collaboration with Chicago’s leading limousine companies.
It starts quietly. One extra suitcase by the front door. A calendar reminder for a flight time. A note that the kids’ winter coats need to be in the carry-on, not the checked bag. Then, almost overnight, the season flips. Parking lots fill. Group texts light up. And suddenly it feels like everyone in America is trying to move at the same time.
AAA’s latest year-end holiday travel forecast puts a number on that feeling: 122.4 million Americans are projected to travel at least 50 miles from home during the 13-day year-end holiday period, beginning December 20 and ending January 1. The forecast is a 2.2% increase over last year and would surpass 2024’s record, according to AAA’s release. If you are traveling through Chicago—by air, by car, or some mix of both—those figures are not abstract. They show up as longer lines, tighter schedules, and less margin for error.
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