For millions of Americans are going to be traveling this Thanksgiving, be it by plane, train or automobile. If it’s by car, you my want to know what to expect along with the turkey, parades and all the trimmings.
Google Maps is a great resource for travelers to see trends about traveling around the holidays, including insights on when to hit the road, and the best times to stay off the highways.
Most popular places visited during the Thanksgiving holiday:
Compiling data about the number of times users requested directions to a location using Google Maps, the tool was able to show when Georgia’s holiday rush will hit, determined by the state’s most popularly searched place categories:
- Top overall search during Thanksgiving week: School
- Top search on Wednesday: Beer Store
- Top search on Thanksgiving: School
- Top search on Friday: Garden Center’
Nationally, the most uniquely searched place categories in Google Maps during the Thanksgiving holiday period are: outlet mall, tree farm, scenic overlook, video game store and place of worship.
Thanksgiving travel traffic trends:
Because the holidays skew everything, the travel trends are all different for the city when it comes to rush hours. For Atlanta, here are the best and worst times to leave for and return from that Thanksgiving road trip:
- Best day to leave: Thanksgiving day, 6 a.m.
- Worst day to leave: Wednesday, 3 p.m.
- Best day to return: Sunday, 6 a.m.
- Worst day to return: Sunday, 4 p.m.
Thanksgiving in ATL: Best time to visit your favorite businesses and places
So Atlantans can properly plan and avoid long lines and crazy foot traffic, here’s a look at when some of the most popular places searched for in Google Maps tend to be the most crowded:
- Bakery: Visits peak midday Wednesday as people prep for Thanksgiving dinner. Can’t forget to bring the dessert!
- Grocery Store: Last-minute shoppers storm grocery stores on Wednesday afternoon.
- Liquor Store: Visits peak on Wednesday afternoon as people start stocking up for the festivities.
- Movie Theater: Friday evening is a popular time to head to the movies.
- Shopping Center: Unsurprisingly, Black Friday afternoon is when stores are most crowded.
