Record-high 50 million expected to travel for 4th of July

A record-high 50.7 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home for the long Fourth of July weekend, according to AAA estimates.

Domestic travel between Thursday and next Wednesday will grow by 2.1 million people from last year, shattering the previous weekend record of 49 million travelers set in 2019 before the pandemic, the auto club said Monday.

“We’ve never projected travel numbers this high for Independence Day weekend,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. “What this tells us is that despite inventory being limited and some prices 50% higher, consumers are not cutting back on travel this summer.”

AAA predicts an additional 3.36 million people will travel by bus, cruise or train over the long weekend, an increase of 24% from last year. Car rentals are readily available this year and hotel rates are up only slightly, the company noted.

According to AAA, air travel will see the steepest increase, despite ticket prices rising by 40%-50% from last year.

AAA expects 43.2 million people will drive to their destinations, up 2.4% from last year and 4% from the previous high in 2019. Thanks to declining oil costs, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has fallen from $4.80 on July 4 last year to between $3.50 and $3.60 the past two months, the company said.

The company estimates that 4.17 million Americans will fly for Independence Day, an increase of 11.2% from last year and 6.6% from 2019. The previous weekend air travel record for the holiday was 3.91 million passengers in 2019.

According to transportation researcher INRIX, an AAA partner, the most crowded day for travel will be Friday. To save time, AAA recommends that air travelers avoid checked bags and urges motorists in large urban areas to leave early in the morning or after 6 p.m. to avoid the heaviest congestion.

The best travel days will be Sunday and Monday, the last two days leading into Independence Day. There will be minimal traffic disruptions throughout both days, according to INRIX.

“With record-breaking travelers expected on the road this holiday weekend, drivers should prepare for above-average delays to their favorite destinations,” said Bob Pishue, INRIX transportation analyst. “Using traffic apps, local [Department of Transportation] notifications and 511 services are key to minimizing holiday travel traffic frustrations this Independence Day.”