I am planning on driving down to South New Jersey from New York and need a recommendation as to the best times to leave and return. I am flexible with when I can go and come back. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. I searched the internet high and low hoping to find something but could only find "leave during off-peak times" but none of the articles elaborated as to when those "off-peak times" would be for this very busy weekend.

Thank you.

It would help for people to know exactly where you're starting from (ie from Queens, Manhattan/upper east/village etc.) and where you're headed and what you mean by being flexible. Can you drive at 3 am? Can you leave before the weekend starts?

PS I also suggest you tag your thread with New Jersey as their maybe Jerseyites who regularly drive this route.

Off-peak on that weekend is really very early or very late (between 11pm and 5am), but it would help a lot if we knew what your destination is, and especially if it's shore or not.

If you're flexible I would drive down late Thrusday night and return on Tues after noon. If you're not that flexible - you need to tell us where you're coming from and how flexible you are.

Exiting the city - avoid 3pm - 8 pm. River crossings at that time could be very heavy traffic with delays.

Having worked near various tunnel exits from NYC, I can attest to the fact that on summer Fridays, and even more so on Fridays before long weekends, traffic starts clogging well before 3 pm. Noon is more like it!

If you can't leave a day early, try very early Saturday morning--like 6 am or earlier. By 9 am, it will be crazy anywhere, especially on any road leading (directly or indirectly) to the Jersey Shore.

Returning: If the weather is good on Memorial Day, people try to stretch the vacation time as long as possible, and coming back anytime between say 6 pm and midnight will be nuts.