Last Hurrah of Summer: Top Labor Day Travel Tendencies

WASHINGTON, DC (Aug. 15, 2025) – Whether it’s an Alaska cruise, Central Florida theme park, or Broadway present, many Americans are squeezing in a single closing journey earlier than summer time ends. According to AAA reserving information, Seattle, Orlando, and New York are the three hottest cities over Labor Day weekend*. The excellent news for home vacationers is that flights, lodges, and automobile leases are cheaper this Labor Day weekend in comparison with final yr. 

“Labor Day caps off summer travel and provides one final holiday weekend before the fall routine begins,” stated Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “The top cities on the domestic and international lists are Seattle and Vancouver, both port cities for Alaska cruises. While some people are going on dream cruises or European vacations, many travelers are staying closer to home and taking road trips to nearby beaches or national parks.” 

Domestic roundtrip flights are 6% cheaper in comparison with final yr, averaging $720 a ticket. Many vacationers are flying into Orlando, New York, Denver, and Atlanta for sightseeing, points of interest, and occasions. AAA reserving information additionally reveals lodge charges are 11% decrease and automobile rental prices are 3% cheaper in comparison with final Labor Day. AAA automobile rental companion Hertz says the highest locations based mostly on superior bookings are Orlando, Denver, Boston, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, with the busiest day to select up rental vehicles anticipated to be Friday, August 29.  

Summer gasoline costs have remained low, matching summer time averages in 2021. Last yr, the nationwide common for a gallon of normal was $3.33 on Labor Day. Barring a tropical storm or hurricane affecting Gulf Coast refineries, gasoline costs ought to keep beneath what they have been final yr. So far in 2025, gasoline costs have seen few fluctuations because of regular crude oil costs. 

The value to journey internationally this Labor Day weekend is a blended bag – whereas lodges are 2% cheaper, airfare is 8% dearer. European cities make up most of AAA’s high worldwide locations, however the primary spot belongs to Vancouver. Alaska cruises are wrapping up a robust season, as AAA projected originally of the yr with the 2025 Cruise Forecast. 

 AAA’s Top Labor Day Weekend Destinations 

DOMESTIC	INTERNATIONAL
SEATTLE, WA	VANCOUVER, CANADA
ORLANDO, FL	ROME, ITALY
NEW YORK, NY	DUBLIN, IRELAND
BOSTON, MA	LONDON, ENGLAND
ANCHORAGE, AK	PARIS, FRANCE
CHICAGO, IL	AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
ATLANTA, GA	BARCELONA, SPAIN
DENVER, CO	ATHENS, GREECE
MIAMI, FL	EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
LAS VEGAS, NV	LISBON, PORTUGAL

Best and Worst Times to Travel by Car over Labor Day Weekend 

INRIX, a supplier of transportation information and insights, says one of the best instances to drive over Labor Day weekend are earlier than lunchtime, and for these hitting the street on Saturday, the sooner, the higher! Traffic congestion worsens because the day progresses. The worst instances to drive over the vacation weekend are sometimes within the afternoon and early night. Saturday is anticipated to be additional busy with many drivers heading out of city or taking day journeys. 

Best and Worst Times to Travel by Car
Date	Best Travel Time	Worst Travel Time
Thursday, Aug 28	Before 1:00 PM	1:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Friday, Aug 29	Before 12:00 PM	12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Saturday, Aug 30	6:00 AM – 10:00 AM	10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday, Aug 31	Before 11:00 AM	12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Monday, Sep 1	Before 12:00 PM	1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Peak Congestion by Metro
Metro	Route	Peak Congestion Period	Est. Travel Time	Increase  Compared to Typical
Atlanta	Charleston to Atlanta   through I-20 W	Friday, Aug 29   4:45 PM	6 hours   41 minutes	31%
Boston	Boston to Manchester   through I-93 N	Monday, Sep 1   12:15 PM	1 hour   25 minutes	101%
Chicago	Indianapolis to Chicago   through I-65 N	Friday, Aug 29   5:15 PM	5 hours   6 minutes	72%
Denver	Denver to Fort Collins   through I-25 N	Thursday, Aug 28 12:00 PM	1 hour   38 minutes	81%
Detroit	Detroit to Grand Rapids   through I-96 W	Thursday, Aug 28 4:15 PM	3 hours  41 minutes	44%
Houston	Galveston to Houston   through I-45 N	Thursday, Aug 28 5:15 PM	1 hour   31 minutes	54%
Los Angeles	Los Angeles to Palm Springs   through I-10 E	Thursday, Aug 28 7:30 PM	4 hours  13 minutes	71%
Minneapolis	Eau Claire to Minneapolis   through I-94 W	Thursday, Aug 28 4:45 PM	1 hour   57 minutes	43%
New York	New York to Hamptons   through Long Island Expressway E	Friday, Aug 29   2:45 PM	3 hours   32 minutes	68%
Philadelphia	Baltimore to Philadelphia   through I-95 N	Friday, Aug 29 11:00 AM	3 hours   13 minutes	57%
Portland	Eugene to Portland   through I-5 N	Friday, Aug 29   4:00 PM	2 hours   60 minutes	74%
San Diego	San Diego to Palm Springs   through I-15 N	Friday, Aug 29   6:00 PM	4 hours   6 minutes	57%
San Francisco	San Francisco to Sacramento   through I-80 E	Friday, Aug 29   5:45 PM	4 hours   25 minutes	78%
Seattle	Ellensburg to Seattle   through I-90 W	Monday, Sep 1   5:15 PM	3 hours   48 minutes	101%
Tampa	Tampa to Orlando   through I-4 E	Friday, Aug 29   4:15 PM	3 hours  14 minutes	78%
Washington, DC	Washington, DC to Baltimore   through Balt/Wash Parkway N	Thursday, Aug 28 3:30 PM	1 hour   35 minutes	86%

SOURCE: INRIX 

*Labor Day Weekend  

AAA checked out reserving information for Thursday, August 28 by way of Monday, September 1, and in contrast these numbers with reserving information for that very same five-day interval in 2024.  

About AAA  

Started in 1902 by automotive fanatics who wished to chart a path for higher roads in America and advocate for secure mobility, AAA has remodeled into considered one of North America’s largest membership organizations. Today, AAA delivers distinctive roadside help, helps vacationers plan their dream holidays and adventures, affords unique member reductions and advantages, and supplies trusted monetary and insurance coverage companies – all to reinforce the life journey of our 64+ million members throughout North America, together with over 57 million within the United States. To study extra about all AAA affords or develop into a member, go to AAA.com. 

 About INRIX 

Founded in 2004, INRIX pioneered clever mobility options by reworking large information from linked units and autos into mobility insights. This revolutionary strategy enabled INRIX to develop into one of many main suppliers of information and analytics into how folks transfer. By empowering cities, companies, and folks with useful insights, INRIX helps to make the world smarter, safer, and greener. With companions and options spanning throughout all the mobility ecosystem, INRIX is uniquely positioned on the intersection of know-how and transportation – whether or not it’s retaining street customers secure, bettering site visitors sign timing to scale back delay and greenhouse gasses, optimizing final mile supply, or serving to uncover market insights. Learn extra at INRIX.com.