April 25, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

5.7 Million Travelers Coming Into Southern California For Thanksgiving Period

Homemade Turkey Thanksgiving Dinner (Thinkstock).
Homemade Turkey Thanksgiving Dinner (Thinkstock).

About 3.54 million residents of Southern California are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home during the Thanksgiving travel period, which officially starts today.

Around the state, the number of holiday travelers is projected to be 5.7 million, an increase of only six-tenths of 1 percent from last year, the Automobile Club of Southern California said, attributing the lack of significant movement in the figures to lower-than-expected job and economic growth.

Still, the number of  local residents projected to travel at least 50 miles from home between Wednesday Nov. 25 and Sunday Nov. 29 is the highest for the Thanksgiving holiday since 2007, when 4 million Southern Californians took trips.

The top five destinations for Southern California travelers, according to a survey of Auto Club travel agents, are, in this order Las Vegas, San Francisco, San Diego, the Grand Canyon, and Santa Barbara and California’s Central Coast.

Both in Southern California and around the state, nearly 86 percent of travelers are expected to drive, and 11 percent are expected to go by air.

About 3.03 million Southern Californians will travel by car — a 0.7 percent increase over 2014, according to an Auto Club statement. More than 380,000 are projected to fly, which is a 0.4 percent decrease from last year. Statewide, 4.9 million will drive to holiday destinations, and 616,000 will go by plane.

“Air travelers can expect crowds and increased security over this holiday, so we recommend arriving at the airport at least two to three hours early for domestic flights and three to four hours ahead for international flights,” said Filomena Andre, the Auto Club’s vice president for travel products and services.

“As usual, Southern California road traffic will be heavy and unpredictable during Thanksgiving weekend, particularly on Wednesday and Sunday (Nov. 29), so travelers should plan accordingly.”

Nationally, 46.9 million people are expected to travel over this holiday weekend, which is an increase of 0.6 percent from last year. Eighty-nine percent, or 41.9 million, will drive to their destinations, and 3.6 million are expected to fly.

At Los Angeles International Airport, a record 2.1 million passengers are expected to pass through Los Angeles International Airport over the 11-day Thanksgiving holiday travel period, a jump of 6.9 percent over last year’s record of 1.96 million passengers, officials said.

“As more people choose to work, visit, study and play in Los Angeles, LAX keeps on breaking records,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said earlier this week. “L.A. is a world-class destination for visitors from around the globe, and this is great news for our local economy.”

Airport officials said they estimate 205,000 passengers to pass through the airport today, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, then jump to 219,000 on Monday. An estimated 197,000 travelers are expected at the airport Nov. 25, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving and the following Friday will be the slowest days, with 147,000 and 170,000 passengers, respectively.

Los Angeles World Airport Executive Director Deborah Flint urged travelers to “reduce the stress of holiday travel by planning ahead and allowing extra time for getting to LAX.”

Airport officials also encouraged people to use public transportation, including the FlyAway bus service and Metro Green Line, to avoid congested traffic at the airport. They also urged people who are picking up visitors at the airport to use the Cellphone Waiting Lot at 96th Street and Vicksburg to avoid circling the airport and adding to the congestion.

Related Posts

West Hollywood Braces for Controversial Rally, Reaffirms Commitment to Equality

April 25, 2025

April 25, 2025

City of West Hollywood Condemns Harmful Rhetoric Ahead of Planned Assembly City officials and public safety leaders in West Hollywood are preparing...

(Video) The Willows: 30 Years Going Strong

April 25, 2025

April 25, 2025

Founded in 1994, The Willows Community School, located in Culver City, California, is a Developmental Kindergarten through 8th grade non-profit, co-educational...

ASTEME Camps Explore Science, Technology, Math and Engineering

April 25, 2025

April 25, 2025

Many teachers and parents hear this question daily when it comes to schooling: “When am I ever going to use...

Skirball Center’s Puppet Festival Promises an Afternoon of Imagination and Play

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

SoCal’s Top Puppeteers Will Perform Alongside Live Music, DIY Puppet-Making The Skirball Cultural Center is set to transform into a...

Q&A: No Age Limit on Home Care Management & Home Safety, Tips from a Care Manager

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

In-home safety issues that go unnoticed — cracked sidewalks, broken railings or uneven flooring for example — are often the root...

Culver City Police Hosts DEA Drug Take Back Day on April 26

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

Dispose of Expired Prescriptions Safely and Anonymously The Culver City Police Department will participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back...

Former Cedars-Sinai OB-GYN Accused of Sexually Abusing Patients for Four Decades

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

Ten Women Say Their Reports Were Ignored as Brock Continued to Practice for Decades. A group of 10 women has...

LAX/Metro Station is One Step Closer to Transforming the Airport Commute

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

New Multi-Modal Metro Station Connects Angelenos to the Airport Metro Board Chair and Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn announced...

FBI Unravels Alleged Plot to Sell Stolen Andy Warhol Print in Beverly Hills

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

Mid-City Pawn Shop Owner Charged in High-Stakes Art Scheme The owner of a pawn shop in Los Angeles’ Mid-City neighborhood...

The Brian Jonestown Massacre Drops New Double A-Side Ahead of U.S. Tour

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

Legendary Psych-Rockers Set April 25 Release and Fall North American Tour The Brian Jonestown Massacre is set to release a...

(Video) Matú Kai Brentwood: The full experience

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Sister restaurant to Matú in Beverly Hills, located at 11777 San Vicente Blvd. Sister restaurant to Matú in Beverly Hills,...

Uncle Stevey’s Bagels Wins Westside Hearts with Next-Level Bagels, Premium Sandwiches, and Local Coffee

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Family-Run Shop Serves Delicious and Thoughtfully Curated Bagels With Love By Dolores Quintana A little more than a year since...

Santa Monica’s Socalo Toasts Pali Wine Co. with a Five-Course Culinary Celebration

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Enjoy Celebrated Central Coast Wines, Including a 100-Point Red Blend Socalo, the acclaimed Mexican restaurant from celebrity chefs Mary Sue...

Go Go Bird Teams Up with Chef Chris Oh for Korean-Inspired Fried Chicken Sandwich

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Crispy, Saucy, Spicy: Chris Oh’s Fried Chicken Sandwich Lands in Culver City Go Go Bird, located in Culver City’s Citizen...

Fogo de Chão Hosts Wine Lover’s Dream Night with Chilean Winery VIK

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Diners Will Enjoy a Chef-Curated South American Menu, Highly Rated Wines Wine lovers and culinary connoisseurs are invited to gather...