The 4th of July weekend is almost here and according to new research from AAA, more Americans will be traveling for the holiday than ever before. AAA predicts that 50.7-million people will be traveling 50 miles or more for the holiday, which will set a new record.
· Travel within the U.S. over the long weekend is expected to increase by 2.1-million people compared to last year.
· This year’s travel is projected to surpass the previous July 4th weekend record set in 2019 of 49-million travelers.
· A record number of people are expected to hit the road for the holiday, as AAA estimates 43.2-million Americans will be driving to their destinations, an increase of 2.4% over 2022.
· Gas prices this summer are well below what they were a year ago. The national average for a gallon of regular was $4.80 on July 4th, 2022 and now it’s between $3.50 and $3.60 a gallon.
· Air travel is also expected to set a new record, with AAA projecting 4.17-million Americans will fly to their destination for the holiday, up 11.2% from last year.
With all these folks expected to be on the road, there will also be a lot of traffic.
· According to AAA and INRIX, the worst time to travel will most likely be Thursday, June 29th between 4p.m. and 6p.m., Friday, June 30th from 10a.m. and 5p.m., and Saturday, July 1st at 1p.m.
· They expect the best times to travel will be before noon on Thursday, before 10a.m. and after 6p.m. on Friday, and before noon on Saturday.