Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. There will be a lot of traffic pretty much everywhere with lots of events statewide, the Washington State Department of Transportation, which advises you to “know before you go”:

• SR 20 North Cascades Highway is open once again, with a pilot car leading traffic from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily between mileposts 158 and 162 (Rainy Pass to Blue Lake trailheads). The road is open for through-travel only, even when pilot car is not in use. There are still active wildfires burning nearby, so there’s no stopping along the highway, and travelers should expect delays and be prepared for unexpected closures.
• If you’re planning to use US 2 between Stevens Pass and Skykomish, I-90 between North Bend and Cle Elum, or I-5 between Lacey and Tacoma or Bellingham and the Canadian border, check WSDOT’s weekend travel charts for the best and worst times to travel. There’s no planned construction on I-90 near Snoqualmie Pass, but there will be heavy holiday traffic.
• While you may not go through any work zones this weekend, crashes or emergency road repairs add to travel times on top of already heavy traffic. Plan ahead and consider leaving early or at night and give yourselves plenty of time to get where you need to go.
• Nearly 400,000 people are projected aboard our state ferries over the next six days. It’s the highest number of expected travelers since before the pandemic. Expect long lines and lengthy wait times. Download WSDOT’s mobile app and sign up for rider alerts to stay up to date with any service impacts. Also consider taking early-morning or late-night sailings, using transit or riding a bike/walking on board.

WSDOT also advises that travelers take advantage of their real-time travel map, mobile app and email alerts.