Quick Tips for Avoiding Rush Hour and Heavy Traffic in Hawaii

Life in Hawaii is pretty easygoing. But like any other state, there is the problem of commuter traffic. Most residents work in Honolulu or the outlying Honolulu areas. The problem here is that tens of thousands of people coming in and out of town causes gridlock traffic at specific times. What does this mean for you as a tourist? This means getting stuck and sitting not knowing what to do for hours at a time.

Unlike many other states that have several freeways and interstates, Hawaii is a little easier on the brain as there is really only one freeway that is sectioned off. Those sections are called H1, H2 and H3. Not that hard to remember right? So what does that have to do with you? If you are driving on the freeway between 3:30 and 6:30, it could mean that you have wasted your afternoon because you did not have the foresight to know what areas of the freeway not to be on.

If you are heading into the Honolulu or Waikiki area in the morning, try to avoid the H1 freeway at all cost between 7:00 am and 9:00 am. Trust me, I make this commute everyday and there have been times that a car accident has made me two hours late. If you get stuck in this traffic there is not much to do but sit and wait. If you are heading out of Honolulu, try to stay off the free way between 3:30 and 6:30 or you will find much of the same dilemma.

I will say however, that the traffic gets concentrated in one area. That area is between the airport and Honolulu. All other areas of Hawaii are usually fine as far as traffic goes. Keep in mind that just because it is Hawaii and things seem more laid back here, people still have to work and make a living. That causes tons of congestion due to the fact that there is really only one major freeway.

Please heed my advice and make sure that you do not waste any of your vacation time sitting in traffic. Nothing is worse than only being here for a few days and spending half of that sitting in your car. If you do want to see the island, I would suggest traveling more towards the late morning and returning in the late evening or mid afternoon. That way you can circumvent the traffic problem. Plan your day out and you will be enjoying every minute of your visit.