Last year, Country Thunder Arizona drew an average of more than 30,000 people a day to Canyon Moon Ranch near Florence, including staff and vendors. On Saturday when Morgan Warren played, the attendance was close to 34,000.
Many fans spend their weekends at one of over 8,000 campgrounds. Campgrounds sell out every April, with most arriving on Wednesdays.
Others drive in daily along the two-lane Blacktop stretch that separates the ranch from US 60.
It’s just a bottleneck waiting to happen.
But you don’t have to end up cursing traffic to miss the first half hour of an artist you spent all your money watching. Not if you plan your trip accordingly.
Here’s how to make driving to Country Thunder Arizona a little easier.
Country Thunder Arizona 2023:Here’s Your Complete Survival Guide
When will you arrive at Country Thunder Arizona?
The best way to avoid the worst traffic is to stop procrastinating. Get behind the wheel early and point the car towards Florence.
If you’re aiming to arrive just in time to catch your favorite headliner, it’s almost guaranteed to blow you up in the face.
Megan Benoit, Digital Media Specialist at Country Thunder, said:
Getting there early “helps alleviate that bottleneck just before the headliners come out,” says Benoit.
Meeting new artists is ‘better than traffic jams’
Benoit says he understands you’re more interested in what the headliners are doing. That’s how they landed the headline slot.
“But you’ll want to get out sooner so you don’t miss it,” says Benoit. “I always say it’s better to get to a show early to discover an artist you’ve never seen than to be stuck in your car. Even if you’re not thrilled with the 3 o’clock act, it’s A better place…in the evening traffic.”
And who knows? She might have a new favorite artist or two off the set for the afternoon.
“Everyone is excited about the headliners,” says Benoit. “But for me, there are some 3:30 and 5:00 acts that I’m really excited about.”
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Country Thunder traffic is at its worst at dinner
Benoit said Country Thunder tends to get crowded around dinner time.
“So if you can get here before 6 or 7 and catch the acts before that, I think that’s the best way to go,” she says. come early to beat the rush and we bought a little bit of time so even if there is a delay you can still see the artists you are doing I am most excited .”
This is true for all four days, but Saturday is historically the busiest day.
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Good news for Country Thunder traffic
Benoit says he noticed an improvement in traffic flow last year after widening roads near the festival grounds to accommodate more vehicles.
“I think it helped,” she says.
The Country Thunder site crew were in Florence two weeks early to prepare for the big event.
“So we’re going to do whatever we can to make sure all the roads are prepared for all these crowds,” says Benoit.
ADOT’s Perspective on Country Thunder Traffic
For those of you who need to use these roads but don’t go to Country Thunder, the Arizona Department of Transportation expects congestion and delays on highways to Florence, including State Routes 79 and 287. I advise drivers to do this.
Drivers not participating in Country Thunder should plan sufficient travel time or consider an alternate route to avoid event congestion.
ADOT also asks drivers to take special care where the SR 79 crosses the River Gila in Florence, due to the work area for the bridge replacement project.
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Country Thunder Traffic Information from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office
Sergeant Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Roderick Harrison asks you to “hold on” on that final stretch of road.
They work closely with the festival to open the gates and allow vehicles to enter as quickly and smoothly as possible.
“We need about 4.4 miles worth of cars in Price to get everyone on Price Road and off Highway 79,” he says. “The rest of the traffic and local traffic will then be able to pass through on the right side.”
Harrison says the heaviest traffic is on Wednesdays, when the campgrounds open, from 5 a.m. to noon.
“Last year, the road was completely clear of traffic by 11 o’clock, which is good,” he says.
For non-urgent need drivers near Canyon Moon Ranch on Wednesday, Harrison said: Face the rest of the traffic head-on. “
Although there are heavy traffic jams at the end of each night, Harrison doesn’t expect much traffic problems heading into Country Thunder after Wednesday morning.
“There are two lanes, so I’ll tell you where to park,” he says. “We will get them soon.”
The festival ends on Sunday with what Harrison calls a “massive exodus,” but it’s an exodus that tends to come out gradually throughout the day.
“People leave throughout the day, but it’s sporadic, so it’s not really a big backup,” says Harrison.
“If you have 20 people who just packed up their campers, suddenly the line recedes for 10 minutes, then it goes smoothly for the next 20-30 minutes.So it’s very intermittent.”
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Pro Tip: “Watch Your Keys”
Another piece of advice Harrison likes to give is to “keep an eye on your keys.”
Many people lose their keys at Country Thunder.
“We got 50 sets of keys,” he says.
“So be aware where your keys are. They’ve lost their keys and spent hours looking for them in crowds where everyone’s two or three feet apart. Of course there are lost and found items, but sometimes people may pick it up.It will be a few hours before I can deposit the key in the Lost & Found.”
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Should I worry about people driving drunk?
At a festival this big, you might think that having an intoxicated driver on the road would be a problem, but Harrison said there were fewer than 25 DUIs across the festival.
“I’ve been doing Country Thunder every year for 19 years,” he says. “The truth is, there aren’t that many DUIs. Of course there are. Don’t get me wrong. But most heavy drinkers stay where they are.”
Rest assured, those who choose to drink and drive will be “stopped and handled,” he adds.
Please contact the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. follow him on twitter @Ed Masley.
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