Traffic on Victoria Day and Memorial Day (2024)

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Victoria Day in Canada, and Memorial Day in the United States, are on two adjacent weekends and they bring much heavier traffic to the border crossings between the two countries for pretty much the entire period between the start and end of the May holidays. Many resort destinations promote the Victoria Day Weekend as their official re-opening for the summer vacation season and develop special packages to entice travelers. For many Canadian ports, Victoria Day is the heaviest traffic day of the year.

Make sure you are prepared for your border crossing by reviewing ezbordercrossing.com pages onthe border crossing experience,prohibited items, andrequired documentation. You should always check ourpage for the specific portyou are going to use to see if there are any traffic alerts or updates on wait times.

One other tip – before you hit a 2 hour line at the border make sure you have a reasonably full tank of gas and have used the restroom recently.

Your Traffic Avoidance Game Plan

  • Your best chance to avoid traffic is to arrive at the border before 7 am or after 8 pm.Simply put, leave early or late. As a general rule, traffic is lighter in the mornings and tends to build throughout the day.
  • If possible, use a smaller alternative border crossing rather than the major ports. Of course, smaller ports may have fewer lanes and officers so you will have to weigh your choices.
  • Be aware that traffic is especially heavy when it mixes with normal commuter traffic.
  • Some ports will open extra lanes at earlier times than usual. You should be prepared to move into lanes that might not normally be open.
  • Think about making an overnight stay to avoid fighting peak periods.
  • Use NEXUS if everybody in the vehicle is a cardholder
  • Always check out the current border wait times on ezbordercrossing.com before hitting the road.
  • You will want to keep an eye on our road conditions page as you near trip time to make sure you know what you will face on the roads.

Heaviest Traffic Periods

In general, traffic entering the U.S. on the Victoria Day holidayis expected to peak on Saturday morning, while traffic heading back to Canada is expected to peak on Monday night. TheBlue Water bridge has seen traffic spikes of 80% during Canada’s Victoria Day.

Traffic for the U.S. Memorial Day holiday will begin to build early Friday. The heaviest traffic entering Canada should be on Friday and Saturday. The biggest backups into the U.S. will likely appear on Monday.

Traffic Delays Entering the U.S. on Memorial Day

Peace Arch –Just because your GPS say to go straight up or down the I-5 Corridor you should give some thought to using the Pacific Highway Truck Crossing which is only a mile away and always has less wait time.

Peace Bridgeand Queenston-Lewiston Bridge traffic typically backs up by more than an hour late on Monday afternoon.The wait time for trucks entering the U.S. from Canada via the Peace Bridge typically reaches around 1½ hours.

The Rainbow Bridge delay tends to be shorter with 20 to 30 minute delays reported.

Delays are usually minimal at the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge.

Traffic Delays Entering Canada on Victoria Day

Below are past years advisories for Victoria Day issued by the Canadian Border Services Agency. We cannot say if past trends will hold up, but these serve as a useful guide. All of these peak periods are for traffic entering Canada.

For Frances – Peak traffic – between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday when border wait times may exceed 30 minutes; and between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Monday, when border wait times may exceed 45 minutes.

Pigeon River – Victoria Day weekendmarks the start of the fishing season in Northwestern Ontario, which means there are likely many people from the United States who will be headed to Canada. Peak traffic – Friday evening, and on Saturday morning. Also between4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday, and between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Monday , when border wait times may exceed 30 minutes.

Baudette / Rainy River – Peak traffic – Thursday and Friday between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Sault Ste. Marie – Victoria Day peak traffic volumes are anticipated to be between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday, May 17, between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Sunday, May 19, and between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Monday, May 20, when border wait times may exceed 45 minutes.

Thousand Islands Bridge–This port typically has the heaviest traffic of all border crossings in this area. Peak traffic is anticipated between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, when border wait times could exceed 30 minutes. On Victoria Day Monday between 10 a.m. and 11 p.m., border wait times could exceed 60 minutes.

Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge– This has been a decent alternative to the Thousand Islands Bridge. Delays are expected between noon and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Seaway Bridge – Victoria Day weekend peaktraffic volumes are anticipated between 3 and 7 p.m. on Sunday and 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. on Monday.

North Portal– Peak traffic volumes are generally between 2pm and 6pm over these 2 holidays with Monday being the heaviest day over the Victoria Day weekend.

Increased Holiday Police Enforcement

Police across Canada and the U.S. will be out in force to target unsafe driving this entire 2 week period. Canada kicks off “Road Safety Week” and many American jurisdictions match this with“Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) and the nation-wide two-week “Click It or Ticket” safety mobilization. You should expect to see an increase police presence including many more unmarked patrol cars and random roadside drunk driving stops. Bottom line: drive safely, don’t drink and drive, no texting while driving, and make sure you know if you are travelling in a province or state that requires hands-free cellphone use.

Ferry Service

Ferry services will experience heavier use during these holiday weekends. You should consider making advance reservations, or plan to show up about an hour before departure time. Foot passengers should be at the terminal about 40 minutes ahead of departure.

Traffic on Victoria Day and Memorial Day (2024)

FAQs

How to avoid traffic on Memorial Day? ›

In general, it's a good idea to get an early start when driving on Thursday and Friday. On those days, the best car travel times will be before 11 a.m., according to AAA's report, which used traffic data from Inrix. After 7 p.m. on Thursday or 8 p.m. on Friday will also see lower traffic numbers.

Can Memorial Day and Victoria Day be the same day? ›

Victoria Day and Memorial Day have coincided on several occasions since Victoria Day was moved to the last Monday preceding May 25 in 1952. This overlap occurs when Memorial Day, which is observed on the last Monday of May in the United States, falls on the same date as Victoria Day.

How long does it take to cross the Canadian border by car? ›

Crossing the US/Canadian Border can be a very smooth process, but expect it to take 10-30 minutes, and longer during high traffic volume periods. An occasional full-vehicle search may occur.

Is Victoria Day and Patriots day the same? ›

No, but it's still a holiday. It's called Journée nationale des patriotes (National Patriots Day), but it's on the same day as Victoria Day. The Patriots was the name given to the Parti canadien and to the popular movement that were part of the Rebellion in Lower Canada of 1837-38 (Quebec) against the British crown.

What is the busiest travel day for Memorial Day? ›

MORE: Americans will need Real ID to travel in 2025: Here are the requirements. The busiest days to fly will be May 23, Friday, May 24, and Memorial Day itself, Monday, May 27, according to Hopper data.

Is Memorial Day a bad day to drive? ›

Drivers leaving on Thursday or Friday should hit the road early to avoid mixing with commuters, according to AAA, citing transportation data firm INRIX. Travelers returning home on Sunday or Monday should avoid the afternoon hours when return trips will peak.

What is the American equivalent of Victoria Day? ›

As the weather improves and we start thinking about long weekends on a beach or outside with friends, two national holidays in North America mark the beginning of summer – 'Victoria Day' in Canada and 'Memorial Day' in the USA.

Do you say Happy Victoria Day in Canada? ›

Canadians will all be wishing one another “very happy Victoria Day.” In the 19th Century, people celebrated the birthday of Queen Victoria with much enthusiasm. Festivities included firing a gun salute and singing serenades in honor of Queen Victoria over this long weekend holiday.

Is Victoria Day similar to Memorial Day? ›

In the United States, Memorial Day, which is celebrated on the last Monday in May, is commonly seen as the unofficial start to summer. In Canada, that honor goes to Victoria Day, a holiday celebrated on the Monday that falls either on or immediately before May 24.

What is the busiest crossing on the border between Canada and the United States? ›

Capacity. The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest crossing on the Canada–United States border. The four-lane bridge carries more than 10,000 commercial vehicles on a typical weekday.

What does a US citizen need to enter Canada by car? ›

Entry into Canada: Canadian law requires that all persons entering Canada carry proof of citizenship and identity. A valid U.S. passport, passport card, or NEXUS card satisfies these requirements for U.S. citizens.

Do they check your car when crossing the Canadian border? ›

“No.” The Canada Border Services Agency does not do actual, physical inspections of vehicles leaving the country but instead considers the sharing of border crossing information between Canada and the United States to fulfill the role of an exit inspection.

What do Canadians do on Victoria Day? ›

Today, Victoria Day is a holiday throughout most of Canada. The day is usually marked in most cities with parades, outdoor events and activities like camping and fireworks displays.

What do you eat on Victoria Day in Canada? ›

From Victoria Day to Labour Day, white clothes may be worn. (White clothing worn in the fall and winter was referred to as “your winter whites.”) Other essential ingredients of the holiday, besides beer, are the first summer salads, devilled eggs, grilled foods, etc, along with desserts such as pies and cakes.

How can we avoid holiday traffic? ›

For these busy travel days, AAA says the best times to hit the road in order to avoid the heaviest traffic periods are before lunchtime or after 7 p.m.

What percentage of people travel by car on Memorial Day weekend? ›

Road travel is the clear preference for Californians with 82 percent driving for the holiday.

Do people go away for Memorial Day? ›

AAA says more than 43.8 million Americans are projected to travel over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

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