Labor Day 2024 Travel: Best And Worst Times To Get Out Of Town In NJ

NEW JERSEY – Residents of New Jersey 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.

Overall, here 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 visiting the beach this weekend, prepare for extra traffic on the Garden State Parkway between New York City and the Jersey Shore. According to INRIX, southbound traffic will be heaviest on Thursday around 3:45 p.m. (with travel times increased by 13 percent), and northbound traffic will be heaviest on Monday at about 7:15 p.m (with travel times increased by 32 percent).

And if you're headed to Atlantic City, traffic congestion is expected to be the worst along the AC Expressway as people are leaving — around 5:45 p.m. on Monday, when INRIX estimates that travelers will spend 24 percent longer in the car. The drive in won't be as bad, though eastbound traffic will be about 8 percent slower on Thursday around 4:15 p.m.

Drivers can also check out AAA's latest data on New Jersey gas prices here.