by the numbers

November 23, 2014 at 12:00a.m.

by the numbers

Highlights from AAA’s 2014 Thanksgiving Travel Forecast. The Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as Nov. 26 through Nov. 30.

Thanksgiving holiday travel volume is expected to reach the highest level since 2007, with 46.3 million Americans taking a trip.

The 2014 forecast is 4.2 percent higher than the 44.4 million Americans who traveled last year and the greatest growth rate for any holiday since Independence Day 2012.

Road trippers likely will pay the lowest Thanksgiving price for fuel in five years. The national average price of gas is $2.85 per gallon, which is 43 cents lower than the average price for Thanksgiving a year ago.

More than 89 percent of travelers (41.3 million) will travel by automobile, a 4.3 percent increase from 39.6 million last year.

Air travel for Thanksgiving is expected to be at the highest level since 2007, with 3.55 million Americans taking to the skies.

The average distance traveled this Thanksgiving will be 549 miles roundtrip.

Americans will spend an average of $573 during the holiday weekend.

Hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to increase eight percent from one year ago with travelers spending an average of $154 per night compared with $142 last year. The average hotel rate for AAA Two Diamond hotels has risen nine percent with an average cost of $114 per night.

Weekend daily car rental rates will average $55, 10 percent higher than last year.

Airfares will only increase one percent, with an average discounted round-trip rate of $189 across 40 top domestic routes.

Despite lower average gas prices, travelers are allocating 31 percent of their budgets to fuel transportation. Food and beverage and shopping will account for 22 percent and 20 percent of holiday travel budgets, respectively.