What to expect if you're traveling in Washington for the Thanksgiving holiday

As millions of Washington residents prepare to gather with their loved ones for the Thanksgiving holiday next week, state officials are urging travelers to plan ahead and expect delays while flying, driving or sailing to their destination.

AAA predicts 53.4 million people, more than 1.4 million from Washington, will travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, an increase of 13% and 16% respectively from 2020. The forecast also shows national travel volumes within 5% of pre-pandemic levels in 2019, 2% above for Washington.

"This Thanksgiving, travel will look a lot different than last year,” said Kelly Just, spokesperson for AAA Washington. "With borders reopened, plus new health and safety guidelines in place, travel is once again high on the list of Americans ready to reunite with their loved ones for the holiday."

Depending on your mode of transportation, keep reading for a breakdown on what to expect over the holiday week. 

Driving  

The state Department of Transportation has identified three problem areas where it expects traffic to be the heaviest next week: On Interstate 90 between North Bend and Cle Elum; Interstate 5 between Tacoma and Lacey; and Highway 2 between Stevens Pass and Skykomish.  

On I-90 between North Bend and Cle Elum, the department expects, per usual, the heaviest congestion in the eastbound lanes earlier in the week — on Wednesday and Thursday — and in westbound lanes over the weekend.

If you’re headed east over the Cascades next week, expect stop-and-go traffic between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The department is forecasting moderate-to-heavy congestion between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Thursday, and between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday. Stop-and-go traffic will also be seen in eastbound lanes over the weekend — between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, and between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday.  

Travelers headed west over I-90 next week can expect stop-and-go traffic between 1 and 3 p.m. Wednesday, moderate-to-heavy congestion between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Thursday, and between 9 a.m. on 5 p.m. on Friday. The heaviest congestion in the westbound lanes will be on the weekend, with stop-and-go traffic expected between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday and between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Driving on Interstate 5 between Lacey to Tacoma next week will be a disaster regardless of when you’re traveling. The department is expecting moderate-to-heavy congestion in both directions in the morning and evening Wednesday through Sunday. Stop-and-go traffic is generally forecasted between the late morning and late afternoon.

Of the three problem areas, traffic will be lightest on Highway 2. Eastbound travelers can expect moderate-to-heavy congestion between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Wednesday, and between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Thursday. Stop-and-go traffic is expected between 11 a.m. and noon on Friday and Saturday, and light traffic is expected in eastbound lanes on Sunday.

Westbound travelers can expect light traffic Wednesday and Thursday. Moderate-to-heavy congestion is expected between 1 and 4 p.m. on Thursday, between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, and between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The National Weather Service (NWS) is expecting snow on Snoqualmie Pass on Wednesday, with rain though the end of the week.

Flying

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport expects to see pre-pandemic levels of fliers next week, with an estimated 1.5 million people traveling through the airport between Wednesday and Monday. That’s 150% more people than the airport saw last year.

A number of factors — including pandemic-related closures and construction — have reduced the number of parking stalls in and around the airport. Without a reservation, the airport estimates you could wait 30 minutes or more to find an open space.

Airport officials recommend taking the Link light rail — Sound Transit recently added three new stations at the airport’s north end — or utilizing a ride share service to get to the airport. There are also bike racks at the airport if you want to bike there.

If you’re picking someone up, the airport recommends using its cell phone lot, a parking lot with 200 spaces directly across from the S. 170th St. exit of the Airport Expressway. You can also balance the flow of traffic by using the departure drive for pickups at night and the arrivals drive for pickups in the morning.

The airport is also expecting heavy congestion in its security lines. You can use the airport’s SEA Spot Saver program to get a reservation at a special TSA screening hub, which allows you to skip the long general-screening lines.

In general, officials recommend getting to the airport at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights. Masks are to be worn inside the airport at all times unless actively eating or drinking.   

Sailing

The state Department of Transportation is also expecting longer-than-normal wait times when boarding ferries.

The department says the busiest sailings will likely be westbound (or onto an island) Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning. Then eastbound (or off island) Thursday afternoon through Friday. To reduce or eliminate waiting times, the department says riders should consider taking an early morning or late night sailing.

There could be scheduling changes on Thursday depending on staff availability. The department recommends signing up for ferry email alerts before traveling. The latest sailing schedules can be found on the department’s website.

The department acknowledges that its recent staff shortages have created difficulties, but it says it has been actively recruiting new employees and has been able to add additional sailings nearly every day.