San Diego top Labor Day destination

Even with Labor Day arriving later than usual this year, plenty of people will still be taking to the roads and the skies for getaways that will include San Diego as a top choice for the approaching three-day weekend.

The Automobile Club of Southern California is forecasting that travel will rise a modest 1 percent over last year, with about 2.5 million Southern California residents forecast to take trips this weekend. That's down from a 1.6 percent spike the previous year.

“With Labor Day occurring on its latest possible date of Sept. 7, we were unlikely to see a huge increase in travel compared to last year because most schools will have been in session for at least a week,” said Filomena Andre, the Auto Club’s vice president for travel products and services. “But dropping gas prices will give those who do travel some more flexibility in their getaway budgets.”

The majority of those travelers --about 2 million -- are expected to drive to their destinations, which is also a 1 percent uptick from last year. Those traveling by air will grow by 1 percent, to 347,000 locally, while more than 150,000 are estimated to travel by bus, train, cruise or other means.

The eagerness to travel may be driven in part by falling gas prices. Increasingly, more Southern California stations are reporting prices below $3 a gallon, although in San Diego County, prices are still hovering just under $3.49 a gallon. For all of Southern California, average prices are still 25 cents to 30 cents per gallon lower than this same time last year, according to the Auto Club.

Statewide, about 4 million Californians are expected to get away over the Labor Day weekend, compared to 3.99 million last year, which is also a 1 percent increase. Of those, 3.2 million are estimated to drive and 560,000 are expected to fly, with 240,000 going by other means.