How to Estimate Border Wait Time
Although it's best to try and stay an extra day on a holiday weekend, that's not always possible. Google takes info from all the cell phones on the road and compiles it into a live traffic map. The color codes go from Green (traffic is moving well), to Orange, to Red (Very slow traffic).
Follow the steps below as shown in the video to estimate your wait time from your phone while you're in traffic, or to know what lies ahead.
To estimate a Southbound delay: Click this link to drop a pin on the coordinates of the Mexican Border Patrol https://goo.gl/maps/P5di2FP9Shv on Google Maps
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Click the menu drop down on the top left to select "Traffic"
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You'll see the colors to indicate if there are any slowdowns.
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Click "Directions"
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On the map, click the beginning of the slowdown (Orange or Red) to create a starting point
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Drag the Mexican Border Patrol Pin to the end of the slowdown.
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The left panel will show the amount of time and distance for the traffic.
To estimate a Northbound delay: Click the landmark US Customs and Border Protection
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Click the menu drop down on the top left to select "Traffic"
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You'll see the colors to indicate if there are any slowdowns.
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Click "Directions"
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On the map, click the beginning of the slowdown (Orange or Red) to create a starting point
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Drag the US Border Patrol Pin to the end of the slowdown.
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The left panel will show the amount of time and distance for the traffic--it will automatically show Km, switch to miles if preferred.
The color legend also can show usual traffic for certain days of the week, but it won't be accurate since factors like holiday weekends, Peak Season, and weather aren't taken into effect. (https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/how-does-google-maps-predict-traffic.htm)