Planning to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday? If you’re heading to Florida, there are a few cities you might want to consider avoiding. According to Forbes Advisor, Jacksonville, Miami, and Tampa rank among the top 15 worst places for holiday travel in the United States.
AAA predicts that a staggering 55.4 million Americans will be traveling more than 50 miles for Thanksgiving, with the majority of them opting to hit the road. However, for those planning to fly, the Transportation Security Administration expects to screen over 30 million passengers.
Forbes Advisor analyzed 42 cities across 14 metrics and divided them into three categories: driving experience, city experience, and air travel experience. Based on their findings, here are the rankings for the worst cities in the US for holiday travel:
1. Memphis, Tennessee
2. Los Angeles
3. Jacksonville, Florida
4. New York City
5. Tucson, Arizona
6. Oklahoma City
7. Miami, Florida
8. Indianapolis, Indiana
9. Colorado Springs
10. San Antonio, Texas
In terms of driving experience, Jacksonville scored poorly with a rating of 90.63. As the seventh highest city for fatal crashes and weather-related car accidents between November and January, Jacksonville poses risks for holiday travelers. The city also had the third worst transit score (20.8) and the worst walk score (25.6).
Miami, ranking seventh, stands out as well with its air travel experience. Miami International Airport has the highest number of property loss and damage claims during the holiday season. Additionally, Miami faces challenges with traffic congestion, boasting the fifth highest number of hours lost per year (105) and the ninth slowest average speed in rush hour traffic (25 mph).
Tampa, coming in 15th, scored relatively lower in all categories compared to Jacksonville and Miami. Nevertheless, holiday travelers should be cautious of the driving and air travel experiences in Tampa.
While these cities rank among the worst for holiday travel, it’s essential to plan and take necessary precautions to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey.