AAA: Nearly 71 Million People Expected to Travel During July 4th Week
This year’s extended Independence Day forecast exceeds pre-pandemic numbers, setting a record
PROVIDENCE, R.I., June 20, 2024 – AAA projects 70.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home during the Independence Day holiday travel period from June 29 to July 7. For the first time, AAA looked at the entire July 4th week, plus the Saturday before and the Sunday after the holiday. This year’s projected number of travelers for that time period represents a 5% increase compared to 2023 and an 8% increase over 2019.
“Summer vacations are in full swing, and with the flexibility of remote work, more Americans are taking extended trips around Independence Day,” said Jillian Young, Director of Public Relations, AAA Northeast. “We anticipate this July 4th week will be the busiest ever with an additional 5.7 million people traveling compared to 2019.”
AAA projects a record 60.6 million people will travel by car over Independence Day week – an additional 2.8 million travelers compared to last year. This year’s number surpasses 2019 when 55.3 million people traveled by car. AAA’s car rental partner Hertz said the busiest pickup days are projected to be Friday and Saturday, June 28 and 29, and Wednesday, July 3.
The worst times to travel by car on the days leading up to and including July 4th are between 2 and 7 p.m., according to transportation data and insights provider INRIX. The worst traffic delays are expected on Wednesday, July 3, as travelers leave town, and on Sunday, July 7, as they return.
The number of air travelers is also expected to set a new record. AAA projects 5.74 million people will fly to their July 4th destinations. That’s an increase of nearly 7% compared to last year and a 12% increase over 2019. With airports expected to be packed throughout the week, AAA recommends arriving two hours before your flight, reserving parking ahead of time and traveling with carry-on luggage rather than checked bags to save time and money.
More than 4.6 million people are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, including buses, cruise ships and trains. This category is seeing an increase of 9% compared to last year, but this year’s number is shy of 2019’s figure of 4.79 million.
