FARGO, N.D. (NewsDakota.com/AAA) – Tis the season to travel, and AAA estimates 112.7 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home for the holidays. That’s an increase of 3.6 million people compared to last year and the third busiest since AAA began tracking in 2000.

In the seven-state West North Central Region, made up of mostly widespread rural states, 8.8 million travelers will journey 50 miles or more away from home, an increase of nearly 241,000 people over last year. The total equates to 40-percent of the region’s population traveling, the highest share of any region. The WNC region includes Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska and South Dakota.

For purposes of this forecast, the year-end holiday travel period is defined as the 11-day period from Friday, December 23 to Monday, January 2. This period is the same length as the 2021/2022 year-end travel period. The year-end holiday travel period can range from 10 to 13 days, depending on which day of the week Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall. All the year-end holiday periods contain two weekends.

“Despite inflationary pressures, consumers remain resilient and dedicated to travel this year, and the holidays will be no different,” said Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Americans are spending more on travel than any other time in the past two years. The good news is the cost for a holiday road trip will be less expensive than anticipated, now that gas prices are on the way down.”