AAA: 2.7 Million Virginians Traveling this Holiday

Over the river and through the woods, AAA expects 2.7 million Virginians will be traveling over 50 miles to grandmother’s house or elsewhere this holiday.

AAA said that’s a 1 percent increase to those who traveled through the holidays last year and the highest travel volume in the past decade.

"The 11-day year-end holiday period is the longest holiday travel season of the year, affording many more Americans time to visit family or take vacations," said AAA Mid-Atlantic in a statement on the holiday period from Dec. 23 through Jan. 2.

"The number of Virginians traveling during the year-end holidays has steadily increased since 2008, leading up to the highest number of projected travelers in the Commonwealth over the past ten years for this holiday season," said Martha Mitchell Meade, manager of public and government affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

AAA also said the cost of gas "is the lump of coal in their Christmas stockings." The price of unleaded gas is the highest ever price for gas at Christmas in history. Up 70 cents from 2009, the price of a gallon of unleaded gas is averaged at $3.17 in Virginia.