Make sure to plan ahead for your Labor Day weekend road trip
Believe it or not, summer is already coming to a close. Kids are slowly heading back to school, and little by little, the days are getting shorter. However, there is still one last summer hurrah on the horizon: Labor Day weekend! Since it’s the final holiday of the season, you’ll definitely want to make this one count and squeeze every last drop of fun out of it with a road trip.
While some people are flying far and wide this Labor Day weekend, plenty more are staying local and driving to their celebration destination. And there’s plenty of good news for travelers: Gas prices have stayed low throughout the summer, car-rental costs are down 3% from this time last year, and hotel prices are down 11%, making it a little bit more affordable to turn this long weekend into a mini getaway.
The only drawback to celebrating Labor Day weekend is the dreaded traffic that naturally surrounds a holiday weekend. There’s nothing worse than spending more time in the car getting to and from your Labor Day destination than you spend at the place itself. Sound familiar? We’ve all been there. But don’t worry, because a new report from AAA proves that a little bit of planning can help you beat the worst of the holiday traffic.
Keep reading to find out everything you need about planning your Labor Day weekend travel—including when to hit the road to avoid heavy congestion times, as well as which routes are expected to be the busiest across the country.
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How were the best and worst times to travel over Labor Day weekend determined?
To find out which times are anticipated to be the best and worst to travel during Labor Day weekend, AAA sought the expertise of INRIX, a company that specializes in transportation data and insights. INRIX analyzes real-world road behavior to forecast travel conditions along the busiest routes across the country during peak holiday periods. It does this by using a combination of preselected high-impact travel routes, multisource traffic data and a sophisticated statistical formula to create travel delay predictions. To get traffic data, INRIX relies on vehicle GPS data, mobile apps, navigation services, roadside sensors and commercial fleet information.
What are the best times to drive to and from your Labor Day destination?
The rule of thumb is the earlier you leave, the better, according to AAA. If you’ve got a long drive ahead of you, you might want to consider taking the day off from work, because taking a half day is more likely to land you in peak traffic, as congestion really starts to build between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and stays that way throughout each day.
Here are the best times to drive to and from your Labor Day destination:
- Thursday, Aug. 28: Before 1 p.m.
- Friday, Aug. 29: Before 12 p.m.
- Saturday, Aug. 30: 6 a.m.–10 a.m.
- Sunday, Aug. 31: Before 11 a.m.
- Monday, Sept. 1 (Labor Day): Before 12 p.m.
Remember that the times listed above and in the sections that follow pertain to the time zone in which each city or destination is located.
What are the worst times to drive to and from your Labor Day destination?
For the easiest and fastest drives, stay off the roads during the afternoon and early evenings, when congestion is at its peak.
Below, find the times you’ll want to steer clear of being on the road, according to AAA:
- Thursday, Aug. 28: 1 p.m.–8 p.m.
- Friday, Aug. 29: 12 p.m.–8 p.m.
- Saturday, Aug. 30: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
- Sunday, Aug. 31: 12 p.m.–5 p.m.
- Monday, Sept. 1 (Labor Day): 1 p.m.–4 p.m.
What are the worst driving routes on Labor Day?
Labor Day might be your last big event of the summer, which means you’ll want to make the most of every minute. To ensure that you spend more time with family and friends and less time in traffic, the key is to plan ahead—and plan your route accordingly. You might not be able to avoid traffic altogether, but you might at least be able to dodge the worst of it. Some driving routes are notoriously congested, so avoiding them at peak times can help you have a smoother travel day.
Even with the most careful planning, traffic can change on a dime, so be sure to check your local news and traffic apps to stay up to date on any curveballs, like accidents or closures. Below, we’ve rounded up some of the routes that AAA predicts will be the most heavily trafficked on Labor Day weekend and the times they’ll be at their most congested.
Boston
- Route: Boston to Manchester via I-93 N
- Peak congestion: Friday, Aug. 29, at 4:45 p.m.
- Estimated travel time: 6 hours and 41 minutes
- Increase in travel time compared with a typical day: 311%
Chicago
- Route: Indianapolis to Chicago via I-65 N
- Peak congestion: Friday, Aug. 29, at 5:15 p.m.
- Estimated travel time: 5 hours and 6 minutes
- Increase in travel time compared with a typical day: 72%
Los Angeles
- Route: Los Angeles to Palm Springs via I-10 E
- Peak congestion: Thursday, Aug. 28, at 7:30 p.m.
- Estimated travel time: 4 hours and 13 minutes
- Increase in travel time compared with a typical day: 71%
New York
- Route: New York to Hamptons via Long Island Expressway E
- Peak congestion: Friday, Aug. 29, at 11 a.m.
- Estimated travel time: 3 hours and 32 minutes
- Increase in travel time compared with a typical day: 68%
San Francisco
- Route: San Francisco to Sacramento via I-80 E
- Peak congestion: Friday, Aug. 29, at 5:45 p.m.
- Estimated travel time: 4 hours and 25 minutes
- Increase in travel time compared with a typical day: 78%
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Source:
- AAA Newsroom: “Last Hurrah of Summer: Top Labor Day Travel Trends”
