The Thanksgiving drive, ranked: Which states’ residents travel farthest to sit down together
In recent years, 81.8 million people have traveled at least 50 miles away from their home for Thanksgiving and 90% did so by car. Driving is a staple of the holiday, but the amount of time people spend on the road is not even across the U.S.
Depending on the state you live in, the time behind the wheel can vary greatly. Some states feature urban environments and families close together, and others are more isolated.
PeopleWin wanted to know how far people from each state were expected to travel this Thanksgiving. The index uses Census migration data and weights each move by the distance where residents came from and where they live now. If a state had a large number of sudden and recent arrivals, they scored high. Settled states with not a lot of movement scored low. Here’s where in the U.S. residents have to travel the farthest.
1. Hawai'i — 137.8 index miles per resident
If you want to see family outside the state and live in Hawai'i, your only option is to get on a plane. That unfairly skews Hawai'i in the index. While 52.3% of residents in the state are from Hawai'i, family members have likely left over the years and spending time with them on the holidays means buying a ticket. Hawai'i tops the list by a wide margin.
2. Alaska — 111.3 index miles per resident
Alaska is geographically isolated. Getting to family often requires a flight or going through Canada. Considering that only about 43% of the residents in Alaska were born there, it makes sense that many will have far-flung family members. Both Hawai'i's and Alaska’s isolation means residents are more likely to travel on the holidays than other Americans.
3. Nevada — 34.9 index miles per resident
Only 27.2% of Nevada’s residents were born in the state, so roughly three in four people living there were born somewhere else. This fact can affect how likely residents are to need to get in the car to make it to a relative’s house this Thanksgiving. Las Vegas and Reno may be alluring to newcomers to the state, but it usually results in a long flight or drive back home.
4. Washington — 34.4 index miles per resident
Just 46.4% of Washingtonians were born there. There’s a tech-heavy job market that makes it tempting to move to the state, and others are attracted to the outdoor adventures living in the Pacific Northwest provides. Many residents are from locales farther east, necessitating a journey home during special occasions.
5. Arizona — 33.7 index miles per resident
Fewer than 40% of Arizona residents were born there, likely because the Sun Belt draws in retirees and job seekers from the Midwest and Northeast. Holiday travel for these folks often means a cross-country trip.
6. Montana — 32.7 index miles per resident
Montana being on the list may come as a surprise since 53.4% of the residents were born in the state. But Montana is a huge state. It is the fourth-largest by area so even in-state family can be hours apart. Newcomers from other regions only add to that total.
7. Wyoming — 30.9 index miles per resident
Wyoming is the least-populated state and it has wide-open fields and open stretches as far as the eye can see. With only 43% of residents born in the state, there are a modest number of arrivals from far away that tilt the scale.
8. Colorado — 30.3 index miles per resident
Just about 42% of Coloradans were born in the state, so most have roots elsewhere. The state’s job market and outdoor lifestyle draws them in, but that means going home requires significant travel to other parts of the country for the holidays.
9. Oregon — 28.6 index miles per resident
Fewer than half of Oregon residents were born there. According to data from AAA, about 1.17 million Oregonians traveled 50 miles or more for the holidays in 2025, with about 1 million of those driving.
10. Florida — 27.3 index miles per resident
At 35.8%, Florida’s native-born share is among the lowest in the nation, yet the state lands last on this list. As the only Southeastern state in the top 10, it likely benefits from its eastern geography. Many arrivals are coming from states that are a shorter trip away than the West Coast’s long hauls.
Preparing for a holiday drive
Distance to family is a product of both geography and migration history. Nine of the 10 states on the list are in the West, where wide-open land and a steady stream of newcomers push the Thanksgiving trip farther and farther from family. For millions of Americans, Thanksgiving dinner starts hundreds of miles before the first plate is passed.
This story was produced by PeopleWin and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.