If you’re heading out this Labor Day weekend, the busiest hours on the road are happening right now. AAA is projecting one of the largest Labor Day travel volumes on record, with millions of Americans squeezing in one more trip before summer officially winds down. Here’s what the data says about when to leave, where everyone’s going, and how to get there in one piece.
The worst times to be on the road
Today, Friday, September 4, is the single busiest day of the weekend for driving, with traffic peaking between noon and 8 p.m. as commuters and vacationers hit the highways at the same time. Thursday afternoon already saw a preview of that crunch between 2 and 7 p.m., and Saturday brings a second wave from 1 to 5 p.m. as later starters join in. Labor Day itself, Monday, adds one more squeeze between 2 and 5 p.m. as everyone tries to get home before the work week starts.
If your schedule is flexible, Sunday is the day to drive. Most people who left earlier in the week have already reached their destinations, and the Monday rush hasn’t started yet, which makes it consistently the smoothest day of the holiday weekend on the nation’s highways.
Flying follows a similar pattern. Today ranks among the busiest departure days at airports nationwide, and Labor Day itself is expected to be the busiest day for flying home, so building in extra time at the airport on Monday is worth it even if your flight is early.
Where everyone’s actually headed
AAA’s booking data points to Seattle as the top domestic destination this year, with Orlando, Boston, Denver, New York and Atlanta rounding out the list of most-searched trips. Alaska cruises are also having a moment, with Seattle, Vancouver and Anchorage all showing up together as a popular combined itinerary for travelers looking to squeeze in a cooler-weather getaway before fall.
Costs are up, but not dramatically for flights and hotels. Domestic round-trip flights are averaging around $750, roughly 2% higher than last year. Hotel bookings within the U.S. are up about 9%, and travelers going abroad are spending noticeably more, with international bookings running about 12% higher than last Labor Day.
Gas is the real outlier this year. AAA reported the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded hit $4.14 on Thursday, the first time the price at the pump has ever topped $4 on Labor Day and a new record for the holiday, beating the previous high of $3.82 set back in 2012. AAA points to continued volatility around the Strait of Hormuz, which has pushed crude oil into the $90-a-barrel range, as the main driver. If you’re road-tripping this weekend, expect to feel that at the pump more than in your flight or hotel bill.
AAA’s pre-trip checklist
Before you pull out of the driveway, AAA recommends a short list of checks that catch most of the problems that strand people on the shoulder. Check your tire pressure, including the spare. Have your battery tested, especially if it’s more than three years old and has been sitting through a hot summer. Check your oil, coolant and other fluid levels. And pack a flashlight and a set of jumper cables in case you need them, or someone else on the road does.
Once you’re moving, give yourself extra time rather than trying to make up minutes. Leaving early in the morning and avoiding mid-afternoon departures does more to dodge traffic than any shortcut or app-recommended detour. Watch for construction zones too; fines for speeding through a work zone are doubled in most states, and crews are often out through the holiday.
Making the most of the last weekend of summer
Not everyone is flying to Seattle or driving cross-country, and that’s fine. Labor Day has always doubled as an excuse for a cookout, a lake day, or one last trip to the pool before schedules fill back up with school and fall activities. If you’re staying local, the same traffic windows apply to day trips: leave for the beach or the state park before noon, and come home Sunday or early Monday morning rather than fighting the exodus later in the day.
A few small moves make holiday gatherings easier too. Grilling earlier in the day beats the evening heat and the dinner rush at the grocery store. If relatives are driving in from out of town, share the busiest-hours breakdown above so they can time their arrival around it instead of showing up frazzled after sitting in traffic. And if the weather cooperates, an early morning hike or bike ride before the day heats up is a good way to mark the unofficial end of summer without spending it behind a windshield.
However you spend it, a little planning around the busiest windows goes a long way toward making this last long weekend feel like a getaway instead of an ordeal.
Sources: AAA · Scripps News · Fox 11
