As 2025 comes to a close, roughly 9.4 million Texans are projected to travel at least 50 miles from home Dec. 20-Jan. 1, according to AAA Texas.

Nearly 93% of Texas travelers, or 8.7 million people, are expected to drive to their holiday destinations. About 411,000 Texans will catch flights this holiday season and 280,000 will use other forms of transportation, such as buses, trains and cruise ships.

Keep reading for more information about year-end travel, including gas prices and driver safety tips.

The details

Texans should give themselves extra time to reach their destinations the weekend before Christmas, with many travelers expected to hit the road Dec. 21-22. Congestion is also expected as some Texans return home Dec. 26, according to INRIX, a transportation data company.

Minimal traffic is expected Dec. 24-25 and Dec. 31-Jan. 1, although AAA warned in a Dec. 10 news release that unexpected delays could arise from severe weather or crashes.

Minimal traffic is expected Dec. 24-25 and Dec. 31-Jan. 1, according to transportation data company INRIX. (Courtesy AAA)Nationwide, AAA projects that a record 122.4 million Americans will take domestic and international trips this holiday season, up from nearly 120 million travelers around this time last year.

For the first time, more than 8 million people are expected to take domestic flights during the year-end holidays. AAA data shows that round-trip domestic flights cost about $900 on average between Dec. 20-Jan. 1, with the cheapest flights falling on Dec. 25.

The Transportation Security Administration, which oversees aviation security, offers the following tips on its website to those traveling over the holidays:

Bring a REAL ID, passport or other acceptable form of identification to the airport.If traveling with gifts, use gift bags or avoid fully wrapping presents.Pack any liquids exceeding 3.4 oz—including snow globes, drinks and sauces—in checked baggage. A list of items allowed in checked and carry-on baggage is available here.Beginning Feb. 1, all travelers who do not bring a valid ID to the airport will be required to pay $45 to confirm their identity with a “modernized alternative identity verification system,” per the TSA.

Travelers should give themselves extra time at the airport during the holiday season, with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport officials encouraging travelers to arrive at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights.

Did you know?

Texas drivers will likely pay less for gas this holiday season than in recent years, AAA fuel data shows. On average, one gallon of unleaded gas costs about $2.51 in Texas as of Dec. 18, down from $2.65 one year prior.

“In most parts of the state, drivers should be able to find a few gas stations charging $2 a gallon or less,” AAA Texas spokesperson Doug Shupe said in a Dec. 18 news release.

The national average price for a gallon of gas is $2.89, with AAA reporting that this is the cheapest December at the pump since 2020.

Travel tips

This holiday season, AAA encourages drivers to travel in the mornings to avoid the worst traffic and watch out for hazards, such as construction, crashes and unexpected weather.

Last month, officials marked 25 straight years of fatal crashes on Texas roads, with over 91,000 deaths since Nov. 7, 2000.

“These are not random events,” Texas Highway Patrol Chief Bryan Rippee said Nov. 7. “These are the results of making the wrong choices on our Texas highways. When someone drives too fast, drives impaired or doesn’t wear a seat belt, they’re putting not only their lives in danger, but the lives of others in danger, too.”

Each year, the Texas Department of Public Safety increases enforcement efforts during the holiday season, with state troopers looking for people not wearing seat belts, driving while intoxicated, speeding and violating other traffic laws. During the 2024 holiday season, the DPS issued over 115,000 warnings or citations and made over 900 traffic-related arrests, per a Dec. 17 news release.

There were over 2,000 drunken driving-related crashes during this period last year, the Texas Department of Transportation reported.

Texans should not drive after drinking any amount of alcohol, according to TxDOT, which instead recommends:

Designating a sober driver before an event or party startsCalling a sober friend or family memberUsing public transit or rideshareStaying put until you are sober