Preparing for Fourth of July travel in Seattle

SEATTLE - With Independence Day activities just around the corner, residents will soon hit the roads for what is predicted to be the busiest July 4 travel day on record.

Before fireworks kick off around Seattle, there will be heavy traffic on the roads, as AAA reports the Emerald City is the second-most desired Fourth of July travel destination this year. There are more than a dozen cruise ships launching during this period, further impacting traffic.

When and where is traffic predicted to be worst on Fourth of July?

Congestion leaving from Seattle is expected to peak on Wednesday, July 2 at 5:45 pm from Seattle to Ocean Shores using I-5.

Peak congestion coming back to Seattle is expected on I-90 E on Sunday, July 6 at 4:30 p.m. from Ellensburg to Seattle.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is expected to close a handful of roadways in the Seattle area this weekend, which could cause delays for travelers. Additionally, King County is ramping up patrols this weekend as part of the "Night of a Thousand Stars" campaign. Law enforcement will conduct high visibility patrols and add a DUI processing station through Sunday, Dec. 15. Keep reading to learn more about Seattle area road closures and DUI emphasis patrols during the holiday season. Road closures in western WA to know about this weekend Starting at 10 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, crews will reduce eastbound I-90 to two lanes between Seattle and Mercer Island. The roadway will reopen by 6 a.m. on Saturday. According to WSDOT, crews will close the Rainier Avenue South on-ramps to eastbound I-90 at 9 p.m. The eastbound I-90 off ramps onto Mercer Island Way will also close at 9 p.m. In Pierce County, crews will close two lanes of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge for repairs. The closure begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday and will reopen at 9 p.m. on Sunday. The HOV lane will remain open.

Seattle traffic jam seen from Rizal Park, 2018. (Ron Clausen // CC BY-SA 4.0) ((Ron Clausen // CC BY-SA 4.0))

Dig deeper:

For 2025, travel authorities are expecting 72.2 million Americans to travel more than 50 miles domestically between Saturday, June 28 to Sunday, July 6. This represents a 2.4% increase over what we saw in 2024, according to AAA.

During this time period, driving through Seattle will look a little different, too. The State Route 99 tunnel will increase toll costs starting July 1.

This week will also mark a busy time for the ports of Seattle. There are 17 cruises departing from Seattle between June 28 and July 6.

The Source: Information in this story came from WSDOT and AAA.

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Traffic Seattle Holidays