Maybe you can even find a parking space easily. Dare to dream!
This Is the Best Time to Go to Costco
Updated on Jun. 23, 2025
To know Costco is to love Costco, but you still sometimes have to brace yourself before heading there. Because here’s the thing: The popular warehouse club has so many members that it’s typically popping off from open till close. And even though Costco is extending its hours for certain members, it hardly seems like enough to make it so you’ll finally sail through the checkout line. So when really is the best time to go to Costco?
No, it isn’t just when the $4.99 rotisserie chicken is fresh and piping hot. (Though that doesn’t hurt!) Having a complete hassle-free Costco experience requires strategy, endurance and perseverance. Consider the following your tactical guide.
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How much does it matter when you go to Costco?
Costco may have more than 800 locations worldwide, but it also has more than 136 million members shopping at those warehouses. So, yes, it really does matter when you go to Costco. Because while you may never be able to say, “Wow, Costco is really dead today,” it would be nice to get in and out in less time than is typical. And not having to play a parking-lot version of The Hunger Games is also a sweet perk.
When is the best time to go to Costco?
The best time to go to Costco really depends on what you’re looking for, but generally speaking, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are the quietest. But what if you’re looking for the freshest Kirkland bakery items? Or some seriously deep discounts? Here’s what you need to know.
The best time to avoid crowds
As noted above, weekdays are best. But beyond that, if you want to avoid crowds, head to Costco first thing in the morning or right before closing.
“The best time to shop at Costco to beat crowds is first thing in the morning when the warehouse club opens its doors,” says Andrea Woroch, a consumer savings expert. “Traffic starts picking up in the early afternoon into the evening. The next best time is late night after the evening rush.”
The best time for discounts
Costco is known for keeping prices low, but a little extra discount never hurts. Well, according to the wise people of Reddit, it’s sort of dealer’s choice. “Employee here. Those $.00 markdowns have been when it’s the last one or two and it needs to go,” according to one Redditor. “Pay attention to the seasonal changes. If you see a single item in a random place, it’s probably something someone returned and is not carried anymore so it’s marked down.”
The employee also recommends walking by the membership desk where people return things. “Eye it up, those items are most likely going back on the floor,” they say. “If you see something you want, ask them. It’ll be one less thing they have to make a sign and find a home for.”
The best time for the biggest selection
Wednesday morning is your best bet if this is your goal. Shelves will have been restocked after the weekend chaos, and this is the day the new sales shown in the monthly Costco coupon book start.
The best time for Costco’s bakery items
Bakery items come out in waves throughout the day, so you’re almost always guaranteed to have a good selection to choose from. However, if you want to ensure you have your pick of the freshest stuff, get there when the store opens.
The best time to visit the food court
When you’re selling $1.50 hot dog combos, you’re always going to have some semblance of a crowd. That said, the Costco food court is usually slowest from 10 to 11 a.m., and then again about an hour before the store closes.
And here’s a neat trick: You can gauge how busy your Costco is on any given day by looking up the location on Google. There, under store information, you’ll see a chart that tells you that specific warehouse’s busiest and least busy hours.
When is the worst time to go to Costco?
If you’ve ever been at a Costco on a Saturday or Sunday, you know the answer to this question already. “Weekends can be incredibly packed at Costco morning to night, which means longer checkout lines and hard-to-find parking,” Woroch says. “This is also the worst time to try to get gas. Expect very long gas lines.”
If you want to go on a weekend, what’s your best bet?
This is tricky, because on weekends, you’re bound to run into a crowd. However, for the sake of getting a parking spot (any parking spot), go when the store opens—which, on Saturdays and Sundays, is usually at 9:30 or 10 a.m.—or an hour before it closes, often 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
How else can you make your Costco trip go more smoothly?
Aside from choosing the best time to go to Costco for your specific needs (and personal sanity), “make a list before you go, and review Costco deals online so you know what’s on sale,” Woroch says. “Chat with your family about what they need too. You can create a shared shopping list on your phone where family members can add their requests.”
She also suggests thinking about needs for the near future—stuff you can grab in advance if you’re already going on a weekend, specifically as it relates to personal care, cleaning supplies and paper products (think: paper towels and toilet paper). “These are the things you use daily that you may run out of soon, so [if you buy them now], you won’t have to go back to the store for another shopping trip within a short time,” Woroch says. “Keep in mind that the less you go to Costco, the less you spend on impulse overall.”
May the odds be ever in your favor.
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Sources:
- Andrea Woroch, consumer savings and budgeting expert; interviewed, June 2025
- Contimod: “22 Costco Statistics & Member, Store: A Must Know in 2025”
- Reddit: “Any strategies for getting things on clearance / manager markdown”
