AAA Says Gas and Upkeep Cost About 23 Cents a Mile in a Midsize Sedan. Here’s How to Decide Whether to Drive or Fly for Thanksgiving

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For a family of four going a few hundred miles, driving is almost always cheaper than flying. For a solo traveler going across the country, flying almost always wins. Everything in between depends on a little math. To decide whether to drive or fly for Thanksgiving, compare your car’s per-mile cost with the full cost of flying for everyone in your group, then factor in time.

AAA’s 2025 Your Driving Costs study gives the numbers to start with. AAA estimates the cost of fuel and maintenance at about 23.03 cents per mile for a medium sedan, about 20.13 cents for a small sedan, and about 26.44 cents for a medium four-wheel-drive SUV. Those are operating costs only. Counting depreciation, insurance, financing, and other ownership costs, AAA puts the overall average cost of owning and operating a new car in 2025 at $11,577 a year, but if you already own your car, most of those costs do not change with one extra trip.

That makes the operating cost the most useful number for a holiday trip comparison. Here is how to do the math, step by step.

How to Decide Whether to Drive or Fly for Thanksgiving

Step 1: Calculate Your Driving Cost

Multiply your round-trip mileage by your car’s per-mile operating cost.

• Example: A 600-mile round trip in a medium sedan at about 23 cents a mile costs about $138 in fuel and maintenance.
• Add tolls: Northeast and Mid-Atlantic tolls can add $20 to $80 or more each way on a long trip.
• Add parking: If you are staying in a city, parking can cost $20 to $50 a night.
• Add lodging: If the drive is long enough to need an overnight stop, add a hotel, often $100 to $180.
• Add food: Meals on the road for the group.

The key point: driving cost is mostly per car, not per person. The same $138 covers one person or five.

Step 2: Calculate the Full Cost of Flying

Flying costs are per person, and the ticket price is only the beginning.

• Airfare: Multiply by the number of travelers. Thanksgiving fares are among the highest of the year, especially for the Wednesday before and the Sunday after.
• Checked bags: Many airlines charge for each checked bag each way.
• Seat fees: Families who want to sit together may pay for seat selection on basic economy fares.
• Airport parking or rides: Long-term airport parking or rideshares to and from the airport can add $50 to $200.
• Rental car: If you need a car at your destination, holiday rentals can be expensive.
• Food at the airport: Airport meals cost more than road food.

Step 3: Compare Door-to-Door Time

Time is money too, especially over a short holiday weekend.

• Flying time: Add the drive to the airport, arriving early for security, boarding, the flight, deplaning, baggage claim, and the drive from the destination airport. A one-hour flight often takes four to five hours door to door.
• Driving time: Add the drive itself, plus stops and holiday traffic. INRIX data shows Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons before Thanksgiving are the worst times to drive.

A common rule of thumb: driving usually wins on time and money for trips of about four to five hours or less. Flying usually wins for trips over about eight to ten hours of driving. Between those, the answer depends on group size, fares, and how much you value your time.

Step 4: Factor in the Group Size

This is often the deciding factor.

• Solo traveler: Flying often wins on longer trips, since one ticket can cost less than gas, tolls, and a hotel.
• Couple: It is often close on mid-length trips.
• Family of four or more: Driving almost always wins on cost for trips under a day’s drive, since you pay for one car instead of four or five tickets plus bags.

Worked Examples

These are illustrative, using AAA’s operating cost per mile and typical holiday costs.

Example 1: Boston to Philadelphia, Family of Four

• Distance: About 600 miles round trip.
• Driving: About $138 in fuel and maintenance for a medium sedan, plus about $60 to $100 in tolls round trip. Total: roughly $200 to $240.
• Flying: Four round-trip tickets on Thanksgiving weekend can easily run $1,000 to $2,000, plus bags, airport transportation, and possibly a rental car.
• Time: About five to six hours of driving each way without traffic, versus four to five hours door to door by air.
• Verdict: Driving wins clearly on cost.

Example 2: New York to Chicago, Solo Traveler

• Distance: About 1,600 miles round trip.
• Driving: About $370 in fuel and maintenance, plus tolls, food, and likely a hotel each way. Total: often $600 or more, plus about 12 to 13 hours of driving each way.
• Flying: One round-trip ticket, plus bags and airport rides.
• Verdict: Flying usually wins on time and often on cost.

Example 3: Washington, D.C., to Pittsburgh, Couple

• Distance: About 500 miles round trip.
• Driving: About $115 in fuel and maintenance, plus tolls. About four hours each way.
• Flying: Two tickets plus airport transportation.
• Verdict: Driving usually wins.

What About the IRS Mileage Rate?

You may see the IRS standard mileage rate used for these comparisons. For 2026, the IRS lists a business rate of 72.5 cents per mile for the first half of the year and 76 cents per mile from July 1 to December 31. That rate includes depreciation, insurance, and other fixed costs, so it is designed for business reimbursement. For a personal holiday trip in a car you already own, AAA’s operating cost per mile is a more realistic measure of what the trip itself costs you. If you want a conservative estimate that includes wear and value loss, the IRS rate gives you an upper bound.

Hidden Costs and Benefits of Driving

• Flexibility: Leave when you want and bring as much as you can fit.
• Holiday food: Bring pies, casseroles, and gifts without TSA’s liquid rules.
• No bag fees: Pack everything in the trunk.
• Pets: Bring the dog without airline fees or crate rules.
• Risks: Winter weather, holiday traffic, fatigue, and breakdowns.

Hidden Costs and Benefits of Flying

• Speed: Much faster over long distances.
• Less fatigue: No long hours behind the wheel.
• Risks: Weather delays, cancellations, and crowded airports. AAA projected 6 million people would fly domestically over Thanksgiving 2025.
• Fewer belongings: Bag fees and the 3.4-ounce liquid rule limit what you can bring.

How Busy Each Option Gets

AAA projected 81.8 million people would travel 50 miles or more from home over Thanksgiving 2025, a record. The vast majority travel by car. Both roads and airports are crowded, so plan around the busiest days whichever you choose.

Tips to Lower Either Cost

• Driving: Leave at off-peak times, fill up at cheaper stations away from highway exits, and keep tires properly inflated.
• Flying: Book early, fly on Thanksgiving Day or the Monday after for lower fares, pack light to avoid bag fees, and compare nearby airports.
• Either: Split costs with relatives who are going to the same place.

A Simple Formula

Here is the comparison in one line:

• Drive cost = (round-trip miles x per-mile operating cost) + tolls + parking + lodging + road food
• Fly cost = (airfare + bag fees + seat fees) x travelers + airport parking or rides + rental car + airport food

If the drive cost is lower and the drive is under about five hours each way, driving is usually the better choice. If the fly cost is close and the drive is long, flying saves time.

Do Not Forget Your Time

For many people, time is the biggest factor. If you only have four days off, losing two of them to driving may not be worth the savings. On the other hand, holiday flight delays and cancellations can cost time too. Weather in late November can disrupt both roads and airports in the Northeast and Midwest.

Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

AAA’s study also includes hybrid and electric vehicles, which typically have lower fuel costs per mile than gas sedans. If you drive a hybrid or EV, your per-mile operating cost may be lower, making driving even more attractive. Plan EV charging stops ahead of time, since holiday travel can mean lines at fast chargers.

When to Book

If you decide to fly, book as early as you can, since Thanksgiving fares tend to rise closer to the holiday. If you decide to drive, plan your departure time around INRIX’s traffic patterns.

The Bottom Line

AAA puts the cost of fuel and maintenance at about 23 cents a mile for a medium sedan. To decide whether to drive or fly for Thanksgiving, multiply your round-trip miles by that per-mile cost, add tolls, parking, and lodging, and compare it with the full cost of flying for everyone in your group, including bags, airport transport, and a rental car. Then compare door-to-door time. Families on trips under a day’s drive usually save by driving. Solo travelers on long trips usually save time, and often money, by flying.