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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Saving soles ... Former TV game-show host Jim Perry dies ... Central Medford celebrates Thanksgiving with dinner, shopping-cart floats ... Saving soles ... Former TV game-show host Jim Perry dies ... Central Medford celebrates Thanksgiving with dinner, shopping-cart floats ... HOLIDAY TRAVEL Pacific region will bustle with motorists this Thanksgiving Comment By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Follow @@RyanPfeil MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Follow @@RyanPfeil Posted Nov. 19, 2015 at 5:23 PM By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Follow @@RyanPfeil Posted Nov. 19, 2015 at 5:23 PM » Social News Drivers take note: About 6.6 million people will hit the road and travel by car this Thanksgiving in a five-state area that includes Oregon, according to AAA. All told, about 7.6 million people from the Pacific region — which includes Oregon, Washington, California, Alaska and Hawaii — are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home in some capacity, including airplanes. That's a slight increase of 0.6 percent over 2014, AAA Oregon/Idaho officials say. The number of people traveling nationally climbed by the same percentage. Across the U.S., 46.9 million Americans are expected to travel. Of that number, 89 percent plan to drive. “This is the seventh consecutive year of growth in Thanksgiving travel volume, so I think that says something encouraging about the economy,” said Marie Dodds, AAA Oregon/Idaho public affairs director. The Thanksgiving travel period is defined as Wednesday, Nov. 25, through Sunday, Nov. 29. Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, is expected to be the busiest day. AAA officials said current gas prices and airfare costs helped spur travel plans. On Thursday, average gas prices in Oregon were $2.41, the lowest for this time of year since 2008, according to AAA data. About 825,000 people are expected to travel by plane from the Pacific region, down 0.4 percent from 2014. Medford airport officials expect to see more travelers, though, as the numbers of passengers flying every month so far this year has surpassed figures from a year ago. "Each month has been a record month, so I anticipate that we are going to have a large travel base in terms of the holiday travel,” said airport public information officer Kim Stearns. The most recent figures available show 33,281 passengers flew out of Medford in October, up almost 12 percent from 29,729 in October 2014. Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil . By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Follow @@RyanPfeil MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Follow @@RyanPfeil Posted Nov. 19, 2015 at 5:23 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501