The Independence Day holiday is going to be a busy one for domestic travelers, according to AAA projections.
More than 72 million people will travel at least 50 miles or more from home over the nine days from Saturday, June 28, to Sunday, July 6. This year’s domestic travel forecast is an increase of 1.7 million travelers compared to last year and 7 million more than in 2019.
“Summertime is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year, and July 4th is one of the most popular times to get away,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. “Following Memorial Day’s record forecast, AAA is seeing strong demand for road trips and air travel over Independence Day week. With the holiday falling on a Friday, travelers have the option of making it a long weekend or taking the entire week to make memories with family and friends.”
Independence Day Travelers by Mode of Transportation
By Car: AAA projects 61.6 million people will travel by car, a 2.2 percent increase over last year, the highest on record.
This Independence Day holiday period is expected to see an additional 1.3 million road travelers compared to 2024.
For travelers renting cars, AAA car rental partner Hertz says Thursday, July 3rd, is expected to be the busiest day to pick up vehicles. Some of the top destinations based on advanced bookings are also on AAA’s list of most popular places to visit over July 4th: Orlando, Denver, Boston, Oahu, and Seattle.
By Air: The number of people traveling by air is also projected to set a new record.
AAA expects 5.84 million travelers will fly to their destinations; that’s 8 percent of all Independence Day travelers. This year’s projection is a 1.4 percent increase over the previous record set last Independence Day week of 5.76 million air travelers.
By Other Modes: Travel by other modes is expected to rise by 7.4 percent over last year. AAA projects 4.78 million people will travel by bus, train, or cruise. This year’s number is just shy of the 2019 record of 4.79 million. Cruising is driving the popularity of this category, particularly this time of year, when Alaska cruise season is in full swing.
AAA’s Top Independence Day Destinations
The top holiday destinations listed below are based on AAA booking data for the Independence Day travel period. Cruises, beaches, and fireworks are the main motivators for travelers heading to these cities.
Alaska cruises are in peak season, Florida and Hawaii are in high demand for their resorts and attractions, and New York and Boston host two of the most popular fireworks shows in the nation. Internationally, Vancouver tops the list followed by Europe’s most in-demand cities during the summer.
INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, predicts Wednesday, July 2, and Sunday, July 6, to be the busiest days on the road. Afternoon hours will be the most congested.
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