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Make the most out of Labor Day Weekend with our expert tips and tricks to save money, beat the crowds, and send off summer in style.
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It’s hard to believe that we are almost nine months into the year already. Before we know it, we’ll be getting the boxes out of the attic to decorate for Christmas! Don’t grab those lights just yet; we’ve still got to say goodbye to summer. Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest holidays of the year, with many families squeezing in one more trip before summer ends.
We here at Only In Your State love a good send-off, and we’ve compiled all of our best travel tips and tricks for Labor Day travel that includes everything you need to know if you’re traveling for Labor Day weekend 2025.
Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest travel weekends in the United States. Whether you’re catching a flight or sticking to an old-fashioned road trip, you can expect crowds. Typically, more crowds mean higher price tags (simple supply and demand), but according to our friends at AAA, car rentals, flights, and hotels are cheaper this Labor Day weekend than they were in 2024.
These numbers are for domestic travel; if you want to say goodbye to summer internationally, it might actually be more expensive. Hotel prices internationally are marginally cheaper than in previous years (2 percent), but airfare has jumped by 8 percent. Since Labor Day is an American holiday, we’ll be sticking to locations around the United States for this article. (Fun fact: most other countries celebrate Labour Day, aka International Workers’ Day, on May 1.)
The dates for Labor Day weekend 2025 are Thursday, August 28, to Monday, September 1. Of course, some days will be better travel days than others. The busiest travel days for Labor Day weekend are Friday afternoon and Saturday. Taking Friday off (or a half-day) is quite the popular option for travelers hoping to make the most out of the long weekend, so Friday tends to be one of the busiest travel days for Labor Day Weekend.
Few things that will take the wind out of my sails faster than traffic. Labor Day weekend brings more road trip warriors than a typical weekend, so you can expect the roads to be more congested than usual.
The worst travel times for Labor Day weekend are Friday and Saturday afternoon between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. To get more specific, check out the worst travel times for driving on each day of Labor Day weekend:
The general rule of thumb is the earlier, the better! Leaving on Thursday is ideal, though Friday morning will still yield fewer crowds. Heck, even early Saturday morning should be golden as far as traffic is concerned.
The best travel times for Labor Day weekend are before noon Thursday through Monday. Early birds will always have the advantage! This works for the reverse, too. So when you’re ready to head home, the earlier you can leave, the better. I know it’s hard to leave a destination early when you’re homeward bound, but since check-out times traditionally hover around 11 a.m. anyway, you might as well get an early start.
Here is a detailed breakdown of the best travel times for Labor Day by car:
Since it’s a farewell to summer holiday, beaches are some of the most popular destinations for Labor Day. Coastal cities, including Miami, Ft Lauderdale, San Diego, and the Outer Banks (just to name a few), are going to be more crowded than usual—these are some of the most popular beaches in the U.S. for a reason!
Surprised that Anchorage made the list? I’ve been to Alaska in the summer and absolutely loved my visit and will undoubtedly be back again. There are plenty of things to do near Anchorage to keep you busy all weekend long.
Beaches may have a commanding lead on the rest of the country when it comes to Labor Day weekend, as you can see, many of the top destinations for Labor Day aren’t beach-forward places. It’s not uncommon to trade the beach for any number of landscapes or urban adventures. You might even encounter fewer crowds. Perhaps you can snag a cheap flight to New York and spend the weekend watching some magical Broadway shows, or leave the continental U.S. altogether and embark on an incredible Alaskan cruise.
One of my favorite tips for traveling is to take the path less traveled. Take a scenic train ride, go on a cruise, or climb to the top of a mountain. There are endless ways to say goodbye to summer.
Share this article with someone you want to plan a last-minute Labor Day vacation with! Personally, I’m looking forward to the cooler temperatures of autumn. Check out some of the best places to see the fall foliage and get inspired for autumnal adventures.
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