Who doesn't love a good holiday? No work, plenty of relaxation, and time to do whatever you want. In the United States, this often mean hitting the road and getting out of town, along with thousands of your closest friends and neighbors. So, if you're planning on taking that quintessential American road trip, I've got a few times for you to avoid so that you can keep from getting caught in another classic American pastime: sitting in traffic.
Summer Holidays
Summer is the time of year that Americans like to get out and away, so traffic in general will be worse than usual wherever you go. However, the absolute worst days are at the front and back ends of summer: Memorial Day (last Monday in May) and Labor Day(first Monday in September.) Traffic will be at a standstill the day prior to and during each of these holidays, so your best bet is to either lay low or travel at night. There is almost nothing worse than wasting precious hours withering on a highway.
When I lived on the East Coast, I dreaded both of these holidays because, even if I stayed in town, it was an absolute nightmare to get anywhere. Visiting friends had to be planned well in advance, so that we'd actually get there on time.
Family-Visiting Holidays
Both Christmas (December 25th) and Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November) are times when Americans tend to pack up, hop in the car, and head to a relative's house. Planning ahead for travel is a little different than summer holidays, as people tend to take a few days off earlier. Traffic will be consistently bad for a few days before these holidays, but you'll be less likely to get stuck in a soul-crushing traffic jam. To avoid this problem altogether, I'd consider traveling on the day of, since most people will already be at their destination.
I've got many years of experience traveling home for Christmas and Thanksgiving in Virginia. I would usually leave a day or two prior, and had mixed results. Sometimes I would have to slog for an extra hour or so; sometimes I had an open road. There was no rhyme or reason, I simply had to give myself ample time to get where I was going.
Road trips can be a great way to see this beautiful country. The open road gives you the freedom to see small towns, huge parks, and everything in between. If you plan your trip wisely, nothing will get in the way of a great trip.
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