According to a new report from AAA, 42.5 million Americans are expected to hit the roads and skies this Thanksgiving, marking a four percent increase over 2010.

This is the first major travel holiday of the year that will see a significant increase in traffic, according to AAA. Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Independence Day travel figures remained relatively stagnant in 2011.

3.4 million travelers will fly to their holiday destination next week. Those who couldn’t snag cheap flights will hit the road; about 38.2 million will traverse the nation’s highways.

Despite the increase in traffic, it appears the rough economy is still affecting travel plans. According to the report, the average distance traveled this Thanksgiving will decrease 13.5 percent from last year.

Do you plan to travel this Thanksgiving? Let us know in a comment!

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Source: PRNewswire

CC Flickr photo credit: Steve Bott