If you're heading out to the first weekend of Coachella, might want to leave today, according to data from Waze. While Thursday is going to be busy, Friday of the first weekend is the busiest time to head out to the desert.
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival kicks off its first weekend Friday, April 12 through Sunday, April 14, with weekend two starting Friday, April 19 through Sunday, April 21.
Traffic is always a nightmare as festival goers flock to the 10 Freeway and out to Indio. But some days are far worse than others, Waze data shows.
On a typical weekend, Waze reported about 12,000 users navigate their way to the Coachella Valley each day. During the first weekend of last year's festival, the navigation app saw a 242 percent increase, up to 41,000 users a day, with Friday being the busiest day.
Fifty-four thousand users found their way to the desert that day.
Interestingly, they weren't all Angelenos. Wazers from 80 different countries made their way to the festival.
So if you're heading out, be one of the early birds and give Thursday a try, or, if you're still trying to drum up tickets, give the second weekend a try.