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When You Should Leave For Thanksgiving And Head Back Home This Holiday To Avoid Traffic

Google Maps

Five stories that have North Texas talking: Heavy traffic can be avoided this holiday; an update on the border patrol agent’s death; Texas used to do Thanksgiving twice; and more.

You might know the patterns of typical Dallas-Fort Worth traffic, but when it comes to Thanksgiving, it’s a different animal.

Fortunately, Google has mapped out the best and worst times to travel on Thanksgiving using last year’s travel data.

The worst time to leave the metro before Thanksgiving is 3 p.m. today. Your best bet would have been 12 hours earlier, at 3 this morning — sorry about that folks. If any of you left at that time, you clearly don’t need our help.

As for making your way back home, the best time to leave is Friday at 4 a.m. (again, unrealistic) and the worst would be Saturday around 4 in the afternoon. Sunday afternoon’s also a heavy traffic time, too. 

By the way, here's a handy map to check road closures and such. 

The upside? No matter when you leave, the weather’s going to be great — sunny with highs in the 60s and 70s — in North Texas. We’re thankful for that.

Some links have a pay wall or require a subscription.

  • Mystery unsolved:  Investigators believe Rogelio Martinez, a border patrol agent who died in West Texas after suffering extensive injuries to his head and body, may have fallen down a 14-foot culvert. His partner, who radioed for help, has no memory of what happened. [AP]

  • Slippery slope: One in five North Texas children live in poverty, according to a report from Children’s Health. Poverty directly and negatively affects their health and education. The “Beyond ABC” report offers solutions to the statistics, too. [KERA News]

  • Back to work: Fort Worth police Officer Matt Pearce is training for street duty again after recovering from seven gunshot wounds he suffered in the line of duty in March 2016. "To not go back would mean that the guy who shot me wins."[The Dallas Morning News]

The High Five is KERA’s daily roundup of stories from Dallas-Fort Worth and across the state. Explore our archives here. And sign up for our weekly email for the North Texas news you need to know.