Labor Day 2024 Travel: Best And Worst Times To Get Out Of SoCal

LOS ANGELES, CA — Residents in Southern California taking a Labor Day road trip can get their long weekend off to a good start by avoiding certain times when traffic is expected to be heavier than usual.

Thursday and Friday afternoons and evenings will see the most traffic congestion, transportation data provider INRIX said in AAA’s Labor Day travel trends report. Either morning is better, but people leaving on the weekend should wait until Saturday afternoon.

People who are returning home on either Sunday or Monday should leave as early as possible to avoid heavy afternoon traffic, INRIX said.

Below are the worst and best times to travel by car this weekend:

Worst Times

• Thursday: 1-7:30 p.m.
• Friday: 2-6 p.m.
• Saturday: 8-11 a.m.
• Sunday: 2-8 p.m.
• Monday: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Tuesday: 8 a.m.-12 p.m. noon

Best Times

• Thursday: before 11 a.m.
• Friday: before noon, after 7 p.m.
• Saturday: after 12 p.m. noon
• Sunday: before 12 p.m. noon
• Monday: before 10 a.m.
• Tuesday: after 1 p.m.

If you’re traveling through Los Angeles, it’s a good idea to avoid Interstate 5 from Bakersfield to LA, which is expected to see a 28 percent increase in traffic, resulting in a travel time of 1 hour and 56 minutes, according to INRIX. Traffic is expected to be at its worst in LA on Monday at around 2:15 p.m., according to INRIX.

Those traveling through San Diego should avoid Interstate 15 from Palm Springs to San Diego, which is likely to see a 23 percent increase in traffic, resulting in a travel time of 2 hours and 29 minutes, according to INRIX. Traffic is expected to be at its worst in San Diego on Tuesday at around 9:45 a.m., according to INRIX.