Easter travel crush
About 120 million people are expected to travel across the United States this week, creating heavy movement and congestion especially in Southern California toward San Diego, Las Vegas, Anaheim and nearby national parks. (nationaltoday.com)
Southern California’s Easter travel wave is colliding with road work and crowded airports, turning routes to San Diego, Las Vegas and Anaheim into delay zones. (nationaltoday.com) San Diego Today reported on April 12 that about 120 million people are expected to travel across the United States this week, with Southern California seeing especially heavy movement toward beach cities, theme parks and nearby national parks. (nationaltoday.com) The Auto Club of Southern California said 10.2 million Southern Californians are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home, and ABC7 reported that figure is nearly 3% higher than last year. (abc7.com) The biggest pinch point is the 405 Freeway through the Sepulveda Pass, where an ongoing repaving project has reduced lanes between Van Nuys and Westwood. One Camarillo family told ABC7 they missed a Hawaii flight after spending hours stuck in that traffic. (abc7.com) That congestion is landing on top of a broader 2026 travel surge. AAA said on February 27 that 39% of 5,000 surveyed United States adults plan to take more vacations this year than in 2025, and 58% expect to take multiple trips. (newsroom.acg.aaa.com) AAA’s survey also found road trips remain the most common vacation plan, with 45% of respondents choosing them, ahead of beach trips at 42% and major metro areas at 27%. That helps explain why freeways, not just airports, are carrying so much of the Easter crush. (newsroom.acg.aaa.com) State traffic agencies are warning travelers to check conditions before leaving. Caltrans directs drivers to QuickMap, highway restriction reports and California Highway Patrol incident feeds, while SoCal 511 lists live alerts, freeway travel times and construction advisories. (dot.ca.gov, go511.com) As of April 11, SoCal 511 was still listing overnight lane closures on Interstate 405 through the Sepulveda Pass, along with separate incidents on Interstate 15 and other major corridors. Those are the same arteries many Easter travelers use to reach Los Angeles County airports, Orange County attractions and the Las Vegas route. (go511.com) The practical effect is simple: holiday demand is stacking on top of scheduled construction, so even routine trips can take long enough to derail flight plans. For travelers leaving this week, the margin for error is shrinking before they even reach the terminal. (abc7.com, nationaltoday.com)
