Driving to Country Thunder Arizona this weekend? How to minimize the traffic aggravation
Ed MasleyLast year, Country Thunder Arizona 2023 drew an average of 25,000 people a day to Canyon Moon Ranch near Florence for four days of music and fun.
When Morgan Wallen played in 2022, the daily attendance was closer to 34,000.
This year's numbers are expected to be in the 25,000 range.
A lot of those fans will spend the weekend in one of the more than 8,000 campsites that sell out long before the festival returns each April, many arriving as early as Wednesday.
The rest drive in every day along the stretch of two-lane blacktop that separates the ranch from U.S. 60.
That's just a bottleneck waiting to happen.
There are ways to make sure you don’t miss the first half-hour of the artist you spent all that money to see when Country Thunder Arizona 2024 returns to Canyon Moon Ranch April 11-14, with headlining performances by Lainey Wilson, Eric Church, Jelly Roll and Koe Wetzel, though.
Here are traffic tips for driving to Country Thunder Arizona 2024.
Check azcentral.com or follow us on Instagram and TikTok all weekend for live updates, concert reviews and setlists from Country Thunder 2024, which runs April 11-14 at Canyon Moon Ranch in Florence, AZ.
Our complete Country Thunder Arizona 2024 coverage includes the festival's origin story dating back to the early 1990s, concert lineups and set times and a live blog updated hourly all weekend.
How to drive to Country Thunder Arizona
The key to minimizing Country Thunder traffic hassles is to plan on arriving at Canyon Moon Ranch early. Check out those acts with names you may not recognize.
There’s live music starting as early as 2 p.m. the first three days and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, allowing the folks at the campsites extra time to sleep off Saturday with Jelly Roll.
“The big thing is to get there early,” Country Thunder digital media specialist Megan Benoit suggests.
“I know that we've seen issues where everyone wants to come for that headliner. And it definitely bottlenecks that way. Our site is so beautiful, but it is a little bit secluded in the sense that there's not a million ways to get there.”
Country Thunder throwback:The most Arizona things we saw in 2023, from Dierks Bentley to Kurt Warner
Avoid the dinnertime rush, especially on Saturday with Jelly Roll
Getting there early will let you avoid what Benoit calls “the dinnertime rush” that tends to intensify between 6 and 7 p.m. because so many people are just in it for the headliner and the artist playing right before that marquee name.
This year, the heaviest traffic is expected on Saturday with Jelly Roll.
“Instead of waiting in traffic, it's way more fun to see the three o'clock artists,” Benoit says.
“I know that there are some of those afternoon artists that later become headliners, so this is a chance to be able to see them early or check out some of the other activations we've got this year, like the songwriters stage or the Copperhead Stage. I would make it a full day. Get your money's worth.”
The acts playing later are “obviously the bigger names,” she says.
“But come before them, because we don't want to see anyone miss the song they love or the artist that they're really wanting to see.”
Have your ticket ready as you enter Country Thunder Arizona
Another way to help ease the congestion is to pay for your parking in advance and have your ticket ready when you pull up to the gates.
“We are using AXS for our ticketing again this year,” Benoit says. “Most people who came last year would be familiar with it.
"But I always recommend having those tickets already downloaded to your phone as well as purchasing your parking before you get to the gate. Not only does it make your front gate experience faster, but all the people waiting behind will move a lot faster if everyone is ready to go out at the gate.”
People downloading their tickets at the gate will definitely slow things down for everyone.
“It’s a courtesy to the other people attending to be prepared and have everything in front of you before you arrive,” Benoit says.
Expect delays on State Routes 79 and 287 approaching Florence
The Arizona Department of Transportation and the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office say drivers should expect heavy traffic and delays on highways heading toward Florence, including State Routes 79 and 287, during Country Thunder.
Motorists who aren't attending Country Thunder are encouraged to plan for plenty of extra travel time or consider alternate routes to avoid the event traffic.
Detours that will help you get to Country Thunder Arizona
Due to construction at the SR 287/SR 79B intersection in Florence, camper traffic coming from the west will be asked to follow the marked detours.
From Case Grande:
- From SR 287, turn south on Valley Farms Road.
- From Valley Farms Road, turn east on Cactus Forest Road.
- From Cactus Forest Road, turn north onto SR 79 and continue on through Florence.
From Coolidge:
- From Valley Farms Road, turn east on Cactus Forest Road.
- From Cactus Forest Road, turn north onto SR 79 and continue on through Florence.
At the intersection of Cactus Forest Road and SR 79, speeds will be reduced and the intersection will be controlled by law enforcement flagging traffic. Lauren Reimer, public information officer at the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, says, “I'd like to add that the traffic control plans we used at Price and the 79 worked really well last year, so we're going to rinse and repeat that this year. Plus we have a brand new wider bridge over the Gila River courtesy of ADOT, so that should help keep traffic flowing.”
Sign up for Country Thunder emergency text alerts
Festivalgoers can text CT2024 TO 65513 to receive emergency messages during Country Thunder.Alerts may include:
- Traffic alerts around the venue.
- Significant weather events.
- Potential hazards in the area (bees, etc.).
- Law enforcement emergency alerts.
- Fire emergency alerts.
Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EdMasley.
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