Best and worst traffic times around Portland for July Fourth
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
This will be the busiest July 4 week for travel around Portland since at least 2019, AAA predicts.
Why it matters: The right departure time could save you hours in traffic.
The big picture: The worst July 4 holiday traffic is expected to start Thursday, according to INRIX, a transportation data firm that works with AAA to calculate travel times.
State of play: To avoid the heaviest traffic, leave early in the day or consider driving on Monday or Tuesday, per INRIX.
By the numbers: AAA expects 72.2 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles for Independence Day between Saturday, June 27, and Sunday, July 5.
- That's up from 71.8 million travelers last year but a smaller jump than in recent years.
Zoom in: The biggest bottleneck around Portland is expected between Portland and Hood River on I-84 heading east around 2:30pm Thursday.
- AAA predicts that trip will take an hour and 32 minutes, a 67% increase in travel time.
The bottom line: Many other typical routes in and out of town will be jammed, too, so plan accordingly.