Seeing as how San Francisco isn’t blessed to have such Thanksgiving holiday extravaganzas—e.g., the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade or, most notably, New York City’s Macy’s Day Parade—people tend to leave town come Thursday. En masse, sadly.
Drivers should expect delays and long drives. The New York Times suggests leaving by 7 a.m. on Wednesday to avoid the mess that will be tomorrow’s commute. According to Google Trends, the worst time to leave is Wednesday at 3 p.m.
The worst possible time to return is Saturday at at 4 p.m.
If you want a comparatively easy commute, the best time to return will be on Friday at 6 a.m.; otherwise, Saturday starting at 4 p.m. will be the most hellish road time for returning home.
- When to Leave on Your Thanksgiving Drive [The New York Times]
- Thanksgiving turkey and traffic tips from Google Trends and Maps [Google Trends]