The Bay Area’s freeways will be more congested and the airport lines far longer Friday, as the unofficial final weekend of summer kicks off with the Labor Day holiday weekend.
But if you think the holiday is feeling … different these days, you’re not alone.
“It’s packed, but what I can tell you is that it’s typically not like you see” on other warm-weather holiday weekends like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, AAA spokesperson Doug Johnson said. The three-day weekend typically turns into a four-day break for many.
Changes to school calendars in recent years may have a lot to do with it.
“I remember as a kid, I always missed the first day of school, because it was always right after Labor Day, and my family was trying to do the last-chance-for-summer thing,” Johnson said. “But now, back-to-school already has happened for a lot of districts in the state, so a lot more people stay home. They’re already adjusting to the school year.”
The result: Traffic on the freeways and highways — while still busy compared to non-holiday weekends — won’t run as jam-packed as it does for the holidays that came in the last several months.
Those who do head out of the region are expected to see lower prices for hotels, rental car fares, and gas, Johnson said.
Domestic flights are about 6% cheaper and hotels about 11% cheaper than they were in 2024. Domestic car rentals nationally are down about 3%.
Regular unleaded gas in California also has dropped about 3 cents per gallon from a year ago, though it is about 12 cents higher per gallon than a month ago, according to AAA.
Drivers also will find the freeways mostly unimpeded by wildfires. The CHP said the Pickett Fire in Napa County — which had burned 6,803 acres with 33% containment through Thursday morning — is not expected to hinder travel on the major freeways and highways, nor is the Coyote Fire (624 acres, 90% containment) in El Dorado County.
The busiest day both on the road and in the air is expected to be Saturday.
“If you really want to avoid as much traffic as you can, try to get out before 10 a.m.,” Johnson said.
Flying to a destination won’t be an isolated activity, either. The number of air passengers was expected to match or increase the 2024 Labor Day weekend levels, according to airport officials.
About 930,000 travelers are expected to set foot in San Francisco International Airport from Thursday until Monday, about 5.1% higher than in 2024, spokesperson Doug Yakel said. Those totals are 97% of the number reached on the 2019 Labor Day weekend, the last one before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down travel.
At the Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, about 160,000 passengers are expected. Spokesperson Kaley Skantz said Friday and Monday are expected to be the busiest days and that the crowds are expected to be at least as numerous as last year. At Mineta San Jose International Airport, the number is expected to be 80,000 — also mirroring a year ago.
BART will run its normal weekend schedule with Monday treated like Sunday
Temperatures in the Bay Area region are expected to be about normal for the holiday. The National Weather Service forecast the hottest temperatures in the inland East Bay to be 94 degrees on Saturday and 93 on Sunday in Concord, while Livermore is expected to get to 92 and 91 on the same days. Most temperatures in the hotter spots of the region will hover between the mid-70s and mid-80s, including in San Jose where the thermometer is not expected to exceed 87.
Widespread storms that included thunder and lightning in the Sierra Nevada also are expected to depart as the holiday approaches, with warmer temperatures set to make an appearance, according to the weather service.
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As usual, the California Highway Patrol will be out in more numbers than usual to patrol for those who might be driving dangerously, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The enforcement period will begin at 6:01 p.m. Friday and will end at 11:59 p.m. Monday.
“Every available CHP officer will be on the road this Labor Day weekend with one mission: to stop impaired drivers before they harm themselves or others,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said in a statement. He added that such drivers will be stopped and that there will be “no excuses, no warnings. Lives are on the line.”
According to the CHP, the Labor Day weekend is the second-deadliest weekend to drive, behind only the Fourth of July weekend. An average of 28 fatal crashes resulting in an average of 30 deaths have occurred in California over the past five Labor Day weekends, along with an average of 1,000 DUI arrests, the agency said.
Officers arrested 1,140 people last year and 21 people died statewide in DUI-related crashes.