Fourth of July traffic: When not to travel on WA highways
For many this year, the Fourth of July means a three-day weekend and one night of fireworks, hot dogs and trying not to blow your fingers off.
But if you're planning to hit the road so you can get all red, white and blue with friends and family elsewhere - or are just trying to escape the patriotic commotion - you'll want to know when not to drive.
Getting stuck in traffic might make you feel like a dog during a fireworks show, so here are the worst times to travel, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation:
(And bonus, WSDOT will temporarily suspend most state and highway construction on the Fourth, while the Revive I-5 work on the Ship Canal Bridge has already been paused during the World Cup.)
Between Tacoma and Lacey on Interstate 5
You might think that getting an extra day's head start on Thursday will be a good idea, but if you're going south between Tacoma and Lacey, things are looking pretty hairy.
The worst times to drive through that stretch of I-5 are Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Coming back up north, staying a day late is also a bad idea. Sunday's worst travel times between Lacey and Tacoma are between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., but Monday's worst times are between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
It seems work traffic is worse than holiday traffic.
Between North Bend and Cle Elum on Interstate 90
Congestion between North Bend and Cle Elum is looking a little more forgiving than treks on I-5.
If you're heading east on I-90, the worst times to drive will be Thursday between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., so no need to shave any extra hours off the tail end of your 9 to 5. On Friday, the worst times are 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The day of the Fourth is looking pretty clear, so if you want to wait until then, that might be a good idea.
Coming back west is a much different story. Sunday is looking like traffic hell between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., so get a really early start or jet back Monday morning when traffic is much more breezy.
Between Skykomish and Stevens Pass on Highway 2
If you've got plans to go east on Highway 2 between Skykomish and Stevens Pass for your holiday getaway, congratulations, you'll get away with the least amount of traffic of any other main routes.
The worst time to drive is Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., but no other day has travel times bursting into the red. You might still see some congestion Thursday, but it won't be much worse than normal travel times.
Coming back west, there's only one window to majorly avoid. Sunday is looking pretty crowded between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., with another spike at 5 p.m., so maybe scoot back after dinner.
Between Bellingham and the Canadian border on Interstate 5
Finding a stressless driving time between Bellingham and the Canadian border is going to take more coordination and intentionality than some of these other commutes. There are bad times to drive every day.
Your worst times to go north will be Thursday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. So maybe consider hitting the road early Friday or Saturday morning.
The wait times you'll face at the border will be another story entirely.
Coming back south, beware of driving between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday and again at 8 p.m., but most of the day otherwise will see a normal amount of congestion.
If you're thinking of extending the holiday into Monday though, be prepared to pay in travel time, too. Monday has the largest block of red, with the worst travel times between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
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This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 9:41 AM.