Thanksgiving Travel In WA: How To Avoid Traffic And Delays

SEATTLE — To a lot of people, Thanksgiving is a time for reflection, or spending time with your loved ones and for celebrating the good in life. In Western Washington, however, it's that, but it's also a time for a lot of traffic backups.

AAA estimates that more than 1.4 million Washingtonians will be traveling for Thanksgiving this year — that's even more travelers than pre-pandemic levels. Roughly 87 percent of those drivers are expected to hit the road, meaning some of Washington's busiest freeways are about to get sloppy.

To help travelers avoid the mess, the Washington State Department of Transportation is sharing some tips to help drivers avoid the holiday rush.

"On weekend holidays, state highways across Washington will see higher than usual traffic, especially on Interstate 90, where lengthy delays are expected," the agency said. "Longer than typical wait times at ferry docks also are expected during a holiday that falls on a weekend."

Here's a look at what to expect on some of Washington's busiest freeways:

I-90 from North Bend to Cle Elum

As mentioned above, I-90 is likely to be hit the hardest, clogged with travelers heading east out of Puget Sound Wednesday and Thursday, and then again Sunday when everyone starts to head home.

Eastbound traffic will be worst on Wednesday, with stop and go traffic from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thursday will be milder, with only moderate traffic from 8 a.m. to noon.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, traffic is expected to be rough in both directions midday.

A return trip Saturday is slightly easier, with mostly light to moderate traffic except when congestion peaks between noon and three.

I-5 between Lacey and Tacoma

I-5 is no stranger to traffic backups, but AAA is forecasting travel times along the road to be up to 3.5 times longer than normal. As might be expected, the worst of it will be leaving Puget Sound Wednesday.

Northbound traffic Wednesday won't be much of a treat either, with stop and go congestion between 5 and 9 a.m. and from 11 to 3 p.m.

Interestingly, Saturday is actually the worst time to head back to Puget Sound, with heavy traffic from 11 a.m. through 7 p.m. Sunday is slightly better, with lighter traffic in the morning and evening.

US 2 from Skykomish to Stevens Pass

The third big offender this holiday weekend will be US 2 between Stevens Pass and Skykomish — though it won't be nearly as bad as I-90 or I-5. Eastbound travel will be slightly worse than westbound, peaking around noon on Friday.

Westbound traffic never hits stop and go levels, but it will be in the moderate to heavy range for much of the day both Saturday and Sunday, with traffic slightly worse Sunday morning.

Canadian border situation unknown

Finally, WSDOT says it's just not sure what will happen near the Canadian border. The border just recently reopened, and the agency says the vaccination requirements make it too difficult for them to accurate forecast travel patterns. Just to be safe, however, it's probably good to plan for the worst and give yourself extra time if you're heading north through Blaine this holiday season.

Other tips for travel
On top of trying to avoid the most congested traveling times, WSDOT suggests that drivers should:

• Always keep their vehicle at least a quarter full of fuel, in case of emergencies.
• Pre-program vehicle radios to 530 AM and 1610 AM for highway advisory radio alerts.
• Have a backup plan in case your first choice is full.
• Never park along road shoulders.
• Allow for extra travel time to avoid rushing.
• Carry extra food and water, plus extra masks and hand sanitizer.

Related: WA Thanksgiving Travel Could Exceed Pre-Pandemic Levels