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Labor Day Weekend 2026

Here is what we know for Labor Day weekend

We checked every state DOT feed and British Columbia for the road work and closures already on the books for Labor Day weekend, September 4–7, 2026. Counts are a snapshot taken 12:34 PM Pacific on September 4 — live totals move, so treat these as a starting point and check your state before you go.

The national picture

AAA's booking data points to strong domestic travel demand over Labor Day weekend. Hertz expects Friday, September 4 to be the busiest rental-car pickup day. (AAA)

Worst windows left to drive per AAA/INRIX
  • Friday, Sept 4: noon–8 PM
  • Saturday, Sept 5: 1–5 PM
  • Monday, Sept 7 (Labor Day): 2–5 PM
  • Sunday, Sept 6 didn’t surface a peak window — it looks like the calmest day to drive
Sample high-delay routes in AAA/INRIX's 2026 forecast
  • Seattle to Ellensburg, I-90 East — Monday 7:15 PM, travel time up 121%
  • Boston to Providence, I-95 South — Friday 3:30 PM, travel time up 105%
  • San Francisco to Sacramento, I-80 East — Friday 5:45 PM, travel time up 81%
  • Indianapolis to Chicago, I-65 North — Friday 5:15 PM, travel time up 76%
  • Los Angeles to San Diego, I-5 South — Friday 6:00 PM, travel time up 75%

Those are metro-area peak-congestion estimates from AAA's 2026 Labor Day release, not a ranked national list — treat them as examples of how bad a normal drive can get at the worst hour. (AAA)

See these corridors on MileCheck's live maps: I-5, I-10, I-80, I-90, I-95, or browse all corridors. For any other state, the full interactive map is at milecheckapp.com/maps.

Labor Day also closes out the “100 Deadliest Days,” the Memorial Day–to–Labor Day stretch when traffic fatalities historically peak. Several states are running extra DUI enforcement through the holiday: Colorado's “The Heat is On” crackdown runs September 3–9 (CDOT), and Utah's statewide DUI patrols, part of the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, run through September 7 (Gephardt Daily). If you're driving through the evening or the holiday itself, that's where to be extra careful.

How much roadwork is standing on your route

We pulled every state DOT feed plus British Columbia and counted the roadwork and closure records whose posted dates overlap September 4–7. A few things are worth knowing about that number before you read it.

Most of it isn't holiday work. It's long-running projects that happen to still be standing when you drive through — so for every state we split out how many actually start or end during the weekend itself. Nationally, of 5,449 records only 2,274 do.

Ramp and exit closures are left out. They're real, but they rarely change which road you take.

These are scheduled closures, not live traffic. Everything below was posted in advance by a state DOT. A lane that closes this morning, a crash at 2 PM, a backup that builds in twenty minutes — none of that is in here. That is what your state's live map, and our app, are for.

Only 24 of the 51 state/province feeds carry usable dates. The rest can't be counted at all — for those we say so plainly and link you straight to the DOT instead of guessing. Two feeds failed us when we ran this — one didn’t respond, one returned nothing usable — and we say that rather than reporting an empty road.

Alabama 141 records
  • 141 records standing over the weekend — 114 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 27 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: I-20, I-65, US-82
  • From the feed: “I-65 NB @ MP 86.97 at Exit 83/CR 7 in Conecuh County.”
  • Holiday pause: ALDOT is suspending temporary lane closures on interstates from noon Friday through 11:59 PM Monday, so some of the above may already be lifted. (Alabama Reporter)
  • Live conditions: ALGO
Alaska check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • News check: Our news check for this state was last run September 3 and turned up nothing specific to Labor Day weekend.
  • Live conditions: AK 511
Arizona no scheduled construction closures
  • Feed: No AZ511 roadwork or closure records dated over the weekend once ramp closures are set aside.
  • Holiday pause: ADOT says no full state-highway construction closures are scheduled from Friday afternoon, September 4, through late Monday night, September 7. (ADOT) Ramp and lane closures can still turn up.
  • Expect heavy traffic: I-10 and I-17 north of Phoenix are the big ones, plus SR-87 toward Payson, US-93 toward Hoover Dam, and I-8 and I-10 out to the California line. ADOT says to allow extra time during the busier stretches, especially Friday afternoon and Monday afternoon and evening. (ADOT)
  • Live conditions: AZ511
Arkansas check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • News check: Our news check for this state was last run September 3 and turned up nothing specific to Labor Day weekend.
  • Live conditions: IDrive
British Columbia 73 records
  • 73 records standing over the weekend — 63 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 10 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: BC-97, BC-1, BC-16
  • From the feed: “Bridge maintenance at Highway 97, In Quesnel. Starting Sat Aug 1 until Tue Sep 15. Open to traffic. Last update: August 26th, 2026 at 12:20pm PDT. No lane closure expected.”
  • Expect heavy traffic: The pressure point is the ferry to Vancouver Island rather than a highway. Checking the booking system on September 2, the Goldstream News Gazette found Friday Tsawwassen–Swartz Bay sailings nearly sold out for vehicles, with the return rush Monday. (Goldstream News Gazette)
  • Live conditions: DriveBC
California 1,130 records
  • 1,130 records standing over the weekend — 105 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 1,025 starting or ending during the weekend itself. Most are terse routine lane-closure codes rather than full descriptions
  • Most-mentioned routes: US-101, I-105, I-5
  • Expect heavy traffic: AAA's worst-hour pick for Southern California is southbound I-5 from Los Angeles to San Diego, peaking Friday at 6 PM — a forecast 5-hour-19-minute trip. Its Northern California pick is I-80 east toward Sacramento. (AAA/INRIX)
  • Live conditions: QuickMap
Colorado 0 dated records
  • Feed: No closures dated over Labor Day weekend. The feed also carries roadwork and closure records with no usable dates, so this counts what’s dated, not everything active.
  • Holiday pause: CDOT is suspending all non-emergency construction for the weekend, Friday through Monday, resuming Tuesday. (CDOT)
  • Expect heavy traffic: I-70 west of Denver. Westbound peaks mid-morning to early evening Friday and early morning to mid-afternoon Saturday; eastbound peaks on Labor Day itself, mid-morning to late afternoon between the mountain counties and Denver. (CDOT)
  • Live conditions: COtrip
Connecticut check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • Holiday pause: CTDOT says no maintenance or construction is scheduled on limited-access highways, 6 AM Friday through 6 AM Tuesday. (CTDOT)
  • Live conditions: CTDOT
Delaware current advisory found
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • Watch out for: The Delaware Memorial Bridge starts continuous lane closures for joint replacement work on Monday, September 7 — Labor Day — running through November 24. (Delaware Memorial Bridge)
  • Live conditions: DelDOT
Florida check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • News check: We couldn't verify project-level Labor Day weekend work with sourcing we're confident in.
  • Live conditions: FL511
Georgia 53 records
  • 53 records standing over the weekend — 25 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 28 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: I-75, GA-16, GA-515
  • Expect heavy traffic: GDOT predicts heavy congestion on I-16 near Savannah and on I-475, I-75 and I-16 around Macon, plus I-75 out of Atlanta into Stockbridge. On metro Atlanta interstates it flags Friday noon–8 PM and Saturday noon–6 PM as the heavy windows. (WRGA News)
  • Live conditions: 511GA
Hawaii 0 dated records
  • Feed: Carries dates on its records, and none of them fall over Labor Day weekend.
  • Live conditions: HI DOT
Idaho 163 records
  • 163 records standing over the weekend — 59 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 104 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: US-95, I-84, US-30
  • From the feed: “Road construction on US-95 Southbound Near 1ST AVE. 8/18/2026 8:00 AM MT to 9/18/2026 5:00 PM MT Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun: Active all day.”
  • Live conditions: ITD 511
Illinois 231 records
  • 231 records standing over the weekend — 154 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 77 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: IL-59, IL-53, US-20
  • From the feed: “At IL-159/Exit 12 - Roadwork.”
  • Also in the feed: Closures at the I-90/Kennedy Expressway and I-94/Bishop Ford Freeway interchanges — IDOT posts these without saying whether a ramp or a through lane is affected, so check IDOT for the specifics before you rely on either route.
  • Live conditions: IDOT
Indiana 384 records
  • 384 records standing over the weekend — 346 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 38 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: I-70, US-231, US-31
  • Live conditions: INDOT
Iowa 182 records
  • 182 records standing over the weekend — 175 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 7 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: I-80, I-35, US-218
  • Live conditions: 511IA
Kansas 62 records
  • 62 records standing over the weekend — 57 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 5 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: I-70, US-54, US-24
  • Expect heavy traffic: Eastbound I-70 near Manhattan, where lane reductions between exits 301 and 303 land on Kansas State's home opener Saturday. (WIBW)
  • Live conditions: KanDrive
Kentucky check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • News check: Our news check turned up nothing we could confirm as active through the weekend itself.
  • Live conditions: goKY
Louisiana 86 records
  • 86 records standing over the weekend — 64 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 22 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: US-90, US-165, LA-1
  • From the feed: “Road Construction on I-10 Westbound from MM 26 to MM 25. 1 Left lane closed. Starting 8/9/2026 8:00 PM and Ending 9/20/2026 5:00 AM.”
  • Long-running closure: One long-running closure to route around rather than a holiday one: LA-10 has been shut in both directions at the Bayou Tawpaw Bridge near Melville since January while DOTD replaces the structure, with a posted detour via LA-360 and LA-105. (LA DOTD)
  • Live conditions: 511LA
Maine check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • Holiday pause: The Maine Turnpike Authority says construction and maintenance on the Turnpike (I-95, Kittery to Augusta) is suspended for the weekend, though work zones stay in place with narrowed lanes and reduced speed limits. (I-95 Exit Guide)
  • Expect heavy traffic: The Maine Turnpike expects about 1.2 million vehicles. Friday and Monday are the busiest days, with northbound peaking 2–7 PM Friday; the trip home peaks southbound Monday, noon–7 PM. (Maine Turnpike Authority)
  • Live conditions: New England 511
Maryland current advisory found
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • Holiday pause: MDTA directly states there are no scheduled Bay Bridge lane closures September 3–7. (MDTA)
  • Expect heavy traffic: US-50 and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. MDTA projects more than 345,000 vehicles across the bridge Friday through Monday, with delays in both directions at peak hours, and asks drivers to stay on US 50 rather than cutting through local roads. (MDTA)
  • Live conditions: MD 511
Massachusetts check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • Advisory: MassDOT's current 2026 Labor Day travel advisory has the latest on road work and travel conditions statewide. (MassDOT)
  • Expect heavy traffic: AAA's worst-hour pick for the Boston metro is I-95 southbound toward Providence — about 105% above normal, peaking Friday at 3:30 PM. (AAA/INRIX)
  • Live conditions: MassDOT
Michigan check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • Holiday pause: MDOT is lifting restrictions on 91 of 156 projects statewide, 3 PM Friday through 6 AM Tuesday. (MDOT)
  • Watch out for: The Mackinac Bridge closes 6:30 AM–noon on Labor Day for the annual Bridge Walk, with northbound I-75 held at Exit 337 until it reopens. (MDOT)
  • Live conditions: Mi Drive
Minnesota 106 records
  • 106 records standing over the weekend — 97 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 9 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: I-94, I-90, US-75
  • Live conditions: 511MN
Mississippi check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records, and we didn't find Labor Day weekend-specific closures in current news.
  • Live conditions: MDOTtraffic
Missouri 857 records
  • 857 records standing over the weekend — 838 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 19 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: I-70, US-67, MO-7
  • Live conditions: MoDOT
Montana check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • News check: Our news check for this state was last run September 3 and turned up nothing specific to Labor Day weekend.
  • Live conditions: MDT
Nebraska 33 records
  • 33 records standing over the weekend — 29 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 4 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: I-80, US-6, US-30
  • Expect heavy traffic: I-80 into Lincoln on Saturday for the Husker game. Gov. Pillen has directed NDOT and the State Patrol to route drivers to exits 409, 405 and 403, or Exit 401 to I-180 if you pass them. (KLIN)
  • Live conditions: NE 511
Nevada 33 records
  • 33 records standing over the weekend — every one of them a longer project that was already underway before the weekend started
  • Most-mentioned routes: US-395, I-80, US-50
  • From the feed: “Utility work on US-50 Northbound Near 3rd Ave. Start time: 8/26/2026 7:00 PM. End time: 12/31/2026 5:00 PM.”
  • Expect heavy traffic: I-15 between California and Las Vegas all weekend, worst southbound approaching the state line Monday between 10 AM and 3 PM. (News 3 Las Vegas)
  • Live conditions: NVRoads
New Hampshire check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • One project paused: The Valley News reports crews on the I-89 West Lebanon bridge project are off the road for the weekend. (Valley News)
  • Live conditions: NHDOT
New Jersey 130 records
  • 130 records standing over the weekend — 41 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 89 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: US-206, I-78, US-322
  • Expect heavy traffic: Garden State Parkway southbound to the Jersey Shore is the AAA/INRIX pick for the New York metro. Its peak hour was Thursday at 4:15 PM — already past — but expect the Shore-bound rush to carry into Friday. (AAA/INRIX forecast)
  • Live conditions: 511NJ
New Mexico feed unavailable
  • Feed: New Mexico's roadwork feed was not responding when we ran this check, so we have no count to report — that is missing data, not an empty road.
  • Live conditions: NMRoads
New York 243 records
  • 243 records standing over the weekend — 205 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 38 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: I-86, I-84, I-81
  • From the feed: “Bridge work on US 20 both directions over I-88 (Duanesburg), Monday August 31st, 2026 thru Friday October 30th, 2026, Sunday thru Saturday, 06:00 AM thru 06:00 PM right shoulder closed.”
  • Also in the feed: Six holiday-weekend events sit outside the roadwork/closure count, including the New York State Fair, a marathon, a concert, a funeral procession, and a race.
  • Live conditions: 511NY
North Carolina 425 records
  • 425 records standing over the weekend — 89 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 336 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: I-40, US-421, NC-111
  • From the feed: “Maintenance on US 501 Southbound in Durham County Near Infinity Rd.”
  • Live conditions: NCDOT
North Dakota check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • News check: Our news check for this state was last run September 3 and turned up nothing specific to Labor Day weekend.
  • Live conditions: NDRoads
Ohio check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • Work zones scaled back: ODOT says it will reduce the size and scope of active work zones as much as possible for the expected holiday traffic. Not every zone comes down, so expect lane restrictions, equipment and shifted traffic in places. (WOWO)
  • Expect heavy traffic: About 700,000 people used the Ohio Turnpike over Labor Day weekend last year and it expects similar numbers again, peaking Friday between 1 and 4 PM with the heaviest return traffic Monday. (News 5 Cleveland)
  • Live conditions: OHGO
Oklahoma check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • News check: Our news check for this state was last run September 3 and turned up nothing specific to Labor Day weekend.
  • Live conditions: OK 511
Oregon current advisory found
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • Watch out for: ODOT has I-84 through the Columbia River Gorge, between Ainsworth State Park and Bonneville Dam, down to one lane in each direction for the McCord Creek Bridge project, with both directions sharing a single bridge — expect significant delays there over the holiday weekend. (ODOT)
  • Live conditions: TripCheck
Pennsylvania check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • Holiday pause: The PA Turnpike is suspending all construction and maintenance from Thursday, September 3 at 3 PM until Monday, September 7 at 11 PM. (PA Turnpike)
  • Live conditions: 511PA
Rhode Island feed unavailable
  • Feed: Rhode Island's roadwork feed was not returning usable records when we ran this check, so we have no count to report — that is missing data, not an empty road.
  • Live conditions: RIDOT
South Carolina check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • News check: Our news check for this state was last run September 3 and turned up nothing specific to Labor Day weekend.
  • Live conditions: 511SC
South Dakota 18 records
  • 18 records standing over the weekend — 17 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 1 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: SD-44, US-12, US-85
  • Live conditions: SD511
Tennessee 108 records
  • 108 records standing over the weekend — 95 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 13 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: TN-28, I-24, TN-5
  • Holiday pause: TDOT is halting all lane-closure activity on interstates and state routes from noon Friday through 6 AM Tuesday, so some of the above may already be lifted. (TDOT)
  • Live conditions: SmartWay
Texas 348 records
  • 348 records standing over the weekend — 302 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 46 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: I-10, I-30, I-35
  • Expect heavy traffic: I-35 is the worst of it — Dallas, Denton, Waco and Austin 10 AM–3 PM Friday, then San Antonio up through the Metroplex 3–8 PM. (Cross Timbers Gazette)
  • Live conditions: DriveTexas
Utah current advisory found
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • Holiday pause: UDOT says most construction pauses for the weekend, with lanes opened where possible.
  • Watch out for: Two miles of US-6 near Thistle Junction are down to one lane each way around the clock — holidays included — through November 15 (UDOT), and UDOT is forecasting real delay around it: up to 10 minutes eastbound Friday afternoon, and up to 40 minutes westbound Monday between 10 AM and 5 PM.
  • Expect heavy traffic: I-15 is the bigger delay in both directions — up to 30 minutes southbound Friday, up to 60 minutes northbound Monday. Lane restrictions in Spanish Fork Canyon and Provo Canyon stay in place too. (UDOT)
  • Live conditions: UDOT
Vermont check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • Live conditions: VTrans
Virginia check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • Holiday pause: VDOT is lifting most lane closures on interstates and major roads from noon Friday through noon the following Tuesday, though some semi-permanent work zones remain. (VDOT)
  • Expect heavy traffic: VDOT is steering traffic away from the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel — Peninsula drivers bound for Virginia Beach via the I-664 Monitor-Merrimac and I-264 east, Outer Banks traffic via I-664 to I-64 west and the Chesapeake Expressway. (VDOT)
  • Live conditions: VA 511
Washington 71 records
  • 71 records standing over the weekend — 49 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 22 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: I-5, US-101, US-2
  • Holiday pause: All four lanes of I-90 across the Vantage Bridge are open Friday, September 4 through Tuesday, September 8, before returning to one lane each direction. (WSDOT)
  • Expect heavy traffic: US-2 between Skykomish and Stevens Pass, I-90 between North Bend and Cle Elum, I-5 between Lacey and Tacoma, and I-5 from Bellingham to the border. Ferries are busiest westbound Thursday and Friday, eastbound Sunday and Monday. (WSDOT)
  • Live conditions: WSDOT
West Virginia check DOT directly
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records, and nothing confirmed specifically for the weekend itself turned up in current news.
  • Expect heavy traffic: The West Virginia Turnpike expects about 420,500 toll transactions over the weekend, with Friday heaviest at roughly 141,000. (WV MetroNews)
  • Live conditions: WV 511
Wisconsin 572 records
  • 572 records standing over the weekend — 218 of them longer projects already underway before the weekend, 354 starting or ending during the weekend itself
  • Most-mentioned routes: US-18, US-51, WI-29
  • From the feed: “Roadwork - Mainline Right Lane Closed on US 10 EB from US 10 EB to US 10 WB.”
  • Live conditions: 511WI
Wyoming current advisory found
  • Feed: Doesn't include start and end dates on its records.
  • Still active: Bridge damage repair on eastbound I-80 at reference marker 362.65 in Cheyenne, with a lane closure and a 25-foot width restriction in place for the duration (WYDOT), and district-wide milling and repaving on WYO 22 between the Y intersection at Jackson and the base of Teton Pass, with a contract completion date of October 31 (WYDOT).
  • No holiday pause: Wyoming has not announced a holiday lane-closure suspension, so assume work zones stay as posted.
  • Live conditions: WYDOT

Crossing into Canada or the US

Peace Arch is a busy passenger crossing between Surrey, BC and Blaine, Washington. Check live waits before leaving. Depending on your route and each port's hours, Pacific Highway, Lynden, or Sumas may be alternatives. (WSDOT)

At crossings with Ready Lanes, travelers with eligible RFID-enabled passport cards or Enhanced Driver's Licenses may use those lanes. NEXUS members may use dedicated NEXUS lanes where available. Check lane availability and make sure every traveler has an eligible document. (CBP) CBP's live wait times for every port are at bwt.cbp.gov, and MileCheck tracks 85 border crossings — 30 on the Canadian border, 55 on the Mexican.

See them all in one place, updated in real time.

MileCheck shows live DOT alerts for accidents, closures, and delays across all 50 states and British Columbia — not a snapshot from a few days out. Check it before you leave, and again if the drive gets long.

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This covers Labor Day weekend, September 4–7. Our monthly Highway Report — real numbers on what actually happened out on the roads, built from daily state DOT snapshots — starts with September.

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