Millions of Texans are expected to travel across the state for the year-end holidays. 

AAA Texas said 7.9 million people in Texas will travel 50 miles or more from home, an increase of 1.3% over last year and the fifth year in a row for an increase.

More people are set to travel at the end of the year because the travel period is much longer, AAA said. Texans are also more willing to go longer distances and spend more money. 

AAA said 9 out of 10 travelers will hit the road for the holidays – 7.3 million are expected to travel the Texas roads, up 1.8% from last year. Meanwhile, air travel is projected to be down 0.1%. AAA said other travel, like trains, buses or cruise ships, will be down 9.3%.

Texans who drive will log an average of 943 miles round-trip during the holiday travel period. AAA surveyed Texans who said they expect to spend an average of $821 on transportation costs, accommodations, food and beverage, shopping and recreation. 

Drivers can expect to pay the lowest price for gas since 2020, according to GasBuddy.

GasBuddy said the national average gas price on Dec. 25 will be near $2.79 a gallon, about 15 cents less than last year. The price decrease is due to refinery maintenance winding down and gasoline supplies rising, GasBuddy said.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area is ranked the ninth top destination by AAA. DFW International Airport said its busiest days will be Dec. 19-22 and Dec. 26-28. The heaviest timeframes for local departing and arriving customers will be weekends and early evenings.