This Thanksgiving weekend is predicted to be the busiest on the road since 2005, a sign of a recovering economy and a reality drivers will have to grin and bear. Following its annual holiday tradition, Google has compiled a series of interactive maps and charts pointing travelers to the best and worst times to travel over the coming week. (This is yet another way the search giant acts like a public utility, for better or worse. Don’t forget to argue about net neutrality with your in-laws over the Thanksgiving dinner table!)
Unsurprising to anyone reading this slumped in passenger’s seats on highways across America, Wednesday evening is the most painful time to drive—especially in cities where traffic is generally mild. In a list of the 25 U.S. metros that draw the most Thanksgiving travelers, Cleveland, Ohio, turns out to have the highest spike in pre-holiday traffic—probably because on a normal day it’s generally one of the world’s less stressful cities in which to drive.
