SEATTLE — Whether you're driving, flying, or taking a ferry, here's what you need to know about traveling in and out of western Washington this weekend.
More traffic than usual is expected across nearly all transportation methods in Washington over Labor Day weekend, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
Traffic is expected to be especially congested along Interstate 90. The number of passengers traveling through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) is expected to be 18% higher than last year. And, Washington State Ferries is warning passengers to be prepared for last-minute delays or cancelations.
Here's what you should expect:
Traffic Labor Day weekend
Traffic going eastbound on Interstate 90 between North Bend and Cle Elum is expected to ramp up on Friday, Sept. 1, with congestion on the roadway anticipated to be above average between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Congestion is also expected to spike between the hours of 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2.
Eastbound I-90 is expected to have moderate to heavy traffic during the day on Sunday and return to average travel congestion on Monday.
Traffic going westbound is expected to remain normal from Friday through Saturday, ramping up on Sunday and remaining more congested than normal into Monday. Heavy congestion is expected to begin at around noon on Sunday and remain elevated until 5 p.m. Heavy congestion is expected to begin at 9 a.m. on Monday and remain congested through 7 p.m., returning to near normal traffic levels by Tuesday.
Traffic heading north and southbound on Interstate 5 between Lacey and Tacoma is expected to be at roadway capacity for much of the weekend, but not much higher levels than normal, according to WSDOT's travel charts.
RELATED: Swipe through WSDOT's traffic charts
Traffic between Bellingham and the Canadian Border is expected to be heavily congested for the entire weekend into Tuesday. The best times to travel are expected to be between 4 and 11 a.m. and after 7 p.m.
Traffic will also be congested for much of the weekend going southbound. The best times to hit the road appear to be before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m.
Traffic over US 2 is expected to be above average for much of the weekend. Eastbound US 2 is expected to see heavy congestion on Friday between noon and 3 p.m., Saturday between 9 a.m. and noon, and Sunday around 11 a.m.
Westbound US 2 will have light traffic for much of the weekend, until Sunday, when heavy congestion is expected around 4 p.m. Congestion is also expected between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Monday, with above-average traffic volumes remaining on Tuesday, but only in the moderate to heavy range.
Flight travel Labor Day weekend
The number of passengers traveling through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Labor Day weekend is expected to be 18% higher than in 2022. The busiest days are expected to be Monday, Sept. 4, followed by Friday, Sept. 1 and Sunday, Sept. 2, according to the Port of Seattle.
The port advises travelers to utilize the SEA Spot Saver program to speed up the trip through the TSA lines, monitor Sea-Tac's social media and text messaging, watch the drive cams to monitor traffic congestion at the airport and plan on an extra 45 to 60 minutes to park if utilizing the Sea-Tac garage.
This summer nearly 5.5 million people have been screened through Sea-Tac.
Thursday figured to be the busiest day in U.S. airspace, with 52,203 flights scheduled, followed by 49,111 flights on Friday, according to the FAA. After a lull on Saturday and Sunday, flights are scheduled to pick back up on Monday and Tuesday. The numbers include airline, military and some private flights.
The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen more than 14 million passengers from Friday through Wednesday, up nearly 11% over the same weekend last year.
AAA said bookings for domestic travel — flights, hotels, rental cars, and cruises — are running 4% higher than Labor Day last year. The auto club and insurance seller said international bookings are up a staggering 44% now that COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, with the top destinations being Vancouver, Rome, London, Dublin, and Paris.
Washington State Ferries
Washington State Ferries expects a busy travel weekend over Labor Day and warned passengers to be prepared for last-minute delays or cancelations.
The agency projects nearly 400,000 people will ride a ferry between Aug. 31 and Sept. 5 with Saturday, Sept. 2 expected to be the peak travel day.
The busiest sailings will be routes headed westbound or onto an island Aug. 31-Sept. 2 and routes headed eastbound or off an island Sept. 3-Sept. 5.
Passengers are encouraged to take either early morning or late night sailings to avoid long wait times.
Some routes will have alternate schedules for the holiday weekend, and riders are urged to check schedules before heading to the dock.
State ferries also warned sailings could be delayed or canceled at the last minute due to a lack of relief crewing or mechanical problems with a boat.