Labor Day travel: Best and worst times to travel to and from Virginia

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Residents of Virginia traveling for Labor Day should avoid certain times when traffic is expected to be heavier than usual, according to Patch.

Certain times to travel

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.

Morgan Dean, the AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson in Virginia, said:

According to travel predictions, certain times and routes around Virginia will experience the most congestion during Labor Day weekend

Best times to travel

• 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.

Worst times to travel

• 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

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) expects heavier congestion on Friday, August 30, and Saturday, August 31.

Gas prices

The current gas price average is $3.22 across Virginia, down from $3.61 last year, according to AAA. Northern Virginia's gas price average is $3.36, compared to $3.74 a year ago.