Atlanta’s Halloween traffic will be scary. Here’s how to plan for Friday.

Traffic is always terrifying in Atlanta, but Halloween is one of the trickiest days to navigate metro area roads.

One of the most dangerous nights for pedestrians is even riskier this year since the holiday falls on Friday, according to AAA Auto Club Group. That means more foot traffic and weekend parties that could lead to an uptick in impaired drivers.

The good news: The weather will be sunny with highs in the 60s on Halloween, making for a beautiful fall evening full of spooky activities for little fairies and goblins. Saturday and Sunday will bring a few more clouds, but temperatures will remain mild for any holiday events.

The bad news: With such a great forecast, you can Traffic is always terrifying in Atlanta, but Halloween is one of the trickiest days to navigate metro area roads.

The Georgia Department of Transportation says drivers should add an extra 30 to 45 minutes to regular travel times through at least 8 p.m. Friday due to “heavier and worse than normal congestion” on all interstates starting at noon.

With some extra planning, getting to your destination doesn’t have to be a scary ride.

Prepare for traffic to increase by mid-afternoon Friday.

“It seems in recent years that folks really generally start trying to leave work around 3 p.m. to get home,” WSB traffic reporter Ashley Frasca said.

That should give you enough time to get the kids ready for peak trick-or-treating hours from 5:30-9:30 p.m., she added. If your commute is more than an hour, plan to leave earlier.

Saturday is also expected to be slow-going on the freeways between noon and 6 p.m., though Sunday should ease up, according to GDOT, whose projections are based on historical traffic patterns for Halloween.

On Friday, traffic on surface streets will be just about as bad as the interstates, the agency cautions, especially in neighborhoods that are trick-or-treating hot spots, like Buckhead and Grant Park.

Still, Frasca’s advice is to “take the back roads rather than the interstates.” She cautioned that since it’s the start of the weekend, major thoroughfares will also be busy with out-of-town drivers passing through.

If you take those back routes, add at least 20 minutes to your regular commute time, be extra vigilant and keep speeds low. According to AAA, children are more than twice as likely to be struck and killed by a vehicle on Halloween than on any other day of the year.

Trick-or-treaters don’t always use the crosswalk, and it’s easy to miss a costumed child in low light, especially if they’re not wearing bright colors or reflective tape.

For the older crowd, enjoy yourself, but be safe. In 2023, half of all crash fatalities on Halloween night were alcohol-related, according to AAA.

“Be responsible. Have a sober driver, have a ride-share plan,” Frasca said. “Don’t drink and drive.”

Metro Atlanta streets with the heaviest Halloween traffic projections

Northside Drive / Cobb Parkway: heavy traffic from 2-4 p.m., normal traffic from 4-5 p.m., improving traffic from 5-7 p.m.

Peachtree Parkway: heavy traffic from 2-5 p.m., improving from 5-7 p.m.

Roswell Road: heavy traffic from 3-5 p.m., improving from 5-7 p.m.

Jimmy Carter Boulevard / Holcomb Bridge Road: heavy traffic from 3-5 p.m., improving from 5-7 p.m.