Should you find yourself on the road during the upcoming July 4th holiday, don’t be surprised if traffic is considerably heavier than normal.
AAA projects 72.2 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for Independence Day between Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, July 5, and the vast majority of them will be driving to their celebration destinations.
Last year, 71.8 million Ameicans traveled for the summer holiday.
AAA says 61.4 million people will travel by car over July 4th week, nearly the same number as last year when 61.3 million travelers took road trips. That means fully 85% of Americans traveling for Independence Day are expected to drive to their destinations, despite gas prices reaching four-year highs.
“For many Americans, traveling the week of July 4th is tradition,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “The 9-day travel forecast includes travelers who are vacationing all week and people just getting away for the long holiday weekend. While the overall number of Independence Day travelers appears to be plateauing, we’re still expecting record volumes this year.”
Last year, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.15. This year, prices are higher but remain lower than 2022, when the national average was $4.80 on Independence Day.
AAA’s Independence Day holiday travel period spans nine days and includes two weekends. This year, the dates range from Saturday, June 27 to Sunday, July 5. Historically, this holiday period included only one weekend.
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