Memorial Day travel tips for busiest holiday in two decades

Seasoned Seattleites know to leave early or stay late when it comes to avoiding peak holiday weekend traffic, whether traveling by plane, ferry or automobile.

Driving the news: Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends are two of the state's biggest weekends for cross-state holiday travel and that means traffic congestion and delays, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

What to do: Generally, traffic leading away from Seattle is expected to increase from 11am-8pm Friday; while traffic back to the city is expected to peak between 10am-5pm on Sunday and Monday, per WSDOT.

• The department's traffic guide and charts have more detailed information.
• Long wait times and cancellations are possible at ferry terminals with ridership expected to swell to more than 350,000 passengers through Monday, per Washington State Ferries.
• With ongoing construction at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and an estimated 760,000 travelers expected through Monday, airport officials published information on potential impacts and how to avoid the worst of it.

The big picture: Nationally, nearly 44 million people are expected to travel Memorial Day weekend, the busiest in almost 20 years, according to AAA.

• 43.8 million people will head 50 miles or more during the unofficial start of summer.