How Far Is Too Far for New Yorkers to Travel This Thanksgiving?

A new study claims to have found how far New Yorkers are willing to drive to enjoy a home cooked Thanksgiving feast.

If your out-of-state family is hosting Thanksgiving, how long will you be on the road to get there?

New Yorkers Willing to Drive for HOURS

Pollsters from Gunther Mazda asked over 3,000 people to gauge the lengths Americans are willing to go to savor their mother's home cooked Thanksgiving dinner.

The findings were... interesting.

On average, Americans believe people are willing to drive for 4.6 hours to be home in time for the holidays. The state with the drivers willing to travel the greatest distance is Wyoming, with people there saying they'll hop in a car and drive 14 hours to see everyone gathered at the dinner table.

On the other hand, tiny Rhode Island has people who are not willing to spend hours behind the wheel. People there said they're willing to travel an hour max to be with their family.

So, where did New York land on the scale?

Home for the Holidays

When it came to asking those in the Empire State, respondents said they are willing to travel 3.6 hours to be with their loved ones - anything over that is just too long.

Additionally, respondents were asked to name the menu item that gets them the most excited for Thanksgiving dinner. Shocking absolutely no one was the turkey, with 62 percent saying the bird motivates them to pack up and hit the long road.

Pie earned an honorable mention with 24 percent of the vote.

You can read more about the study HERE.

Thanksgiving Travel Forecast

A record amount of people are expected to hit the road this holiday, with 4.7 million people choosing to fly home for Thanksgiving. That's a 6.6 jump from the previous year, reports AAA. It also reflects the busiest air travel day since 2005.

As for those planning to drive, AAA says 49.1 million Americans will get behind the wheel this holiday. That's a nearly 2-percent jump from 2022.

This year, drivers will be paying less at the pump - with the current average for a gallon of regular hitting $3.58. Last year, people coughed up $3.87 per gallon.

Drivers are encouraged to make sure their vehicle is in great condition to hit the roads and that they remain vigilant when behind the wheel because AAA estimates they'll need to rescue 360,000 Americans at the roadside this Thanksgiving.

The best times to travel will be before 11 in the morning on Wednesday, the 22nd and the worst being between 2 and 6 in the afternoon.

If you must make the journey on Thanksgiving, AAA says travel before 10am and after 5 at night. The worst times to be on the road will be between 11 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon.

Peak congestion in New York is predicted to be the Sunday after Thanksgiving, around 11:15 in the morning.

How long will you be hitting the road on Thanksgiving? How do you keep yourself entertained during the long drive?

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