Travelers worry about crowded roads, high gas prices ahead of Labor Day weekend

Labor Day weekend travel kicks off Thursday, and AAA predicts millions of Americans will be hitting the roads and skies this holiday weekend.

Crowded roads and high gas prices are top of mind for many people. For some, they are already planning around the expected traffic.

"As long as I'm out of Columbus by 4 p.m., I'm usually okay," one traveler said.

AAA recommends leaving earlier in the day, around 10 or 11 a.m., if possible. However, the motor club acknowledged that some travelers don't have the schedules to leave earlier, so they recommend waiting until the evening or overnight hours to best avoid some of the busiest periods.

"Driving in that evening time period into overnight hours, that can be a great non-peak time period where you may be able to get further down the road without finding some of those backups," AAA spokesperson Morgan Dean said.

Another concern for holiday travelers is the price of gas.

The national average for gas is $4.12 per gallon, up 94 cents from this time last year.

In Ohio, the average is $3.80 per gallon — 64 cents higher than the same time last year. Drivers at the pump said they're feeling the pinch.

"It's hard to make money right now," one driver said. "Gas prices are high. I DoorDash and do Instacart and run a small business, but everything's so expensive with gas and everything."

Still, some said the cost of gas won't stop them from making the trip.

"I think that they are high, but I like to see my family and celebrate, so we'll still be going," one traveler said.

Dean said that willingness to spend more money to travel and spend time with family has been reflected in travel trends over the past several years.

"People have really prioritized travel, and more importantly, not just travel, but some of that downtime away from work," Dean said. "They're aware it's costing them more, but they're willing to do whatever they can to make it all work out."