A record-breaking number of Americans are expected to hit the roads during the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, according to AAA. They predict that 60.6 million people will travel by car over the week of Independence Day, marking an increase of 2.8 million travelers compared to last year. This figure also exceeds the 55.3 million who traveled by car during the same period in 2019.

In a first-time analysis, AAA has extended their assessment to cover the entire week of July 4th, as well as the Saturday prior and the Sunday following the holiday.

In total, AAA anticipates that 70.9 million travelers will journey at least 50 miles away from home during the Independence Day holiday period. This projection represents a 5% rise from 2023 and an 8% increase compared to 2019.

“With summer vacations in full swing and the flexibility of remote work, more Americans are taking extended trips around Independence Day,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. “We anticipate this July 4th week will be the busiest ever with an additional 5.7 million people traveling compared to 2019.”  

According to AAA, gas prices are currently lower than they were last year when the national average was $3.53 per gallon. They anticipate that pump prices will continue to decrease in the lead-up to Independence Day. AAA expects that after reaching this low point, gas prices will stabilize and remain relatively steady until after Labor Day, similar to what occurred last year, as stated in their announcement.

“Drivers in large metro areas can expect the worst traffic delays on Wednesday, July 3rd, as they leave town, and Sunday, July 7th, as they return,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, a provider of transportation data. “Road trips over the holiday week could take up to 67% longer than normal. Travelers should monitor 511 services, local news stations, and traffic apps for up-to-the-minute road conditions.” 

According to AAA, they define the Independence Day holiday travel period for this forecast as spanning nine days, from Saturday, June 29 to Sunday, July 7. Traditionally, this period included only one weekend, but this year marks the first time it encompasses two weekends, making it a longer timeframe than usual.