title: Best Time to Drive Through Portland on I-5
url: https://boardspy.site/blog/best-time-to-drive-through-portland/
type: Article
dateModified: 2026-08-28
publisher: BoardSpy
quick_answer: Quick answer: For traffic, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. or after 7:00 p.m. But if you are crossing on I-5, note that bridge lifts on the Interstate Bridge are banned during 6:30-9:00 a.m. and 2:30-6:00 p.m. on weekdays, and most lifts happen immediately after the morning ban ends, between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. If a lift would wreck your schedule, use I-205 instead.
primary_keyword: best time to drive through portland
keywords[5]{term}:
  best time to drive through portland
  driving through portland traffic
  avoid portland traffic i-5
  i-205 vs i-5 portland
  portland oregon traffic times
faqs[3]{q,a}:
  What is the best time to drive through Portland?,For traffic, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. or after 7:00 p.m. But if you are crossing on I-5, note that bridge lifts on the Interstate Bridge are banned during 6:30-9:00 a.m. and 2:30-6:00 p.m. on weekdays, and most lifts happen immediately after the morning ban ends, between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. If a lift would wreck your schedule, use I-205 instead.
  Should I take I-5 or I-205 through Portland?,I-205 crosses the Columbia on the Glenn Jackson Bridge, a fixed span that does not lift, and rejoins I-5 north and south. For through-traffic on a schedule it is frequently the better choice. I-205 traffic has exceeded Interstate Bridge traffic on a daily basis since 1999, so it is not an empty road, but it removes the lift risk entirely.
  Why does the Interstate Bridge cause delays?,The Interstate Bridge carrying I-5 over the Columbia is a vertical-lift structure dating to 1917, and marine traffic has right of way by federal law. The lift span opens an average of about 250 times a year, and some years as many as 480. A lift normally takes six to eight minutes, but during high water it can last up to 20 minutes, and the queue takes considerably longer to clear.
citations[3]{name,url}:
  ODOT — Interstate Bridge / I-5,https://www.oregon.gov/odot/
  Interstate Bridge Replacement Program,https://www.interstatebridge.org/
  BoardSpy — best time to drive through Seattle,https://boardspy.site/blog/best-time-to-drive-through-seattle/
internal_links[1]{label,url}:
  best time to drive through Seattle,https://boardspy.site/blog/best-time-to-drive-through-seattle/