Here’s how much more traffic could be driving in the Rio Grande Valley this Thanksgiving

Rio Grande Valley drivers will likely see tens of thousands more vehicles on the roadways from visitors heading south to celebrate Thanksgiving. 

The three busiest travel days around Thanksgiving – the day before, the day of, and the day after – brought more than 44,000 drivers down U.S. 281 into Hidalgo County last year, according to Texas Department of Transportation data. 

There were 1,000 more drivers on that road headed south during Thanksgiving week between 2023 and 2024, data shows. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 40,400 vehicles entered the Valley during the Thanksgiving holiday, according to TxDOT data. 

Traffic congestion predictions 

TxDOT estimates light traffic on U.S. 281, the future I-69C corridor, between Wednesday and Sunday. Possible delays are expected on Sunday afternoon towards the town of George West.