BUFFALO, N.Y. — This Fourth of July, a record number of travelers could be hitting the road.
AAA is projecting that 50.7 million people will travel 50 miles or more during the July 4 weekend, which is a new record for the holiday. An additional 2.1 million people are expected to travel compared to last year. The number also breaks the record for 2019 when there were 49 million travelers.
“We’ve never projected travel numbers this high for Independence Day weekend,” said Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel, in a released statement.
“What this tells us is that despite inventory being limited and some prices 50% higher, consumers are not cutting back on travel this summer. Many of them heeded our advice and booked early, another sign of strong travel demand.”
A record number of people driving to their destination is also expected. AAA is projecting that 43.2 million people will be hitting the road for July 4.
“With record-breaking travelers expected on the road this holiday weekend, drivers should prepare for above average delays to their favorite destinations,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX in a released statement.
“Using traffic apps, local DOT notifications, and 511 services are key to minimizing holiday travel traffic frustrations this Independence Day.”
AAA has come up with some of the best and the worst times to travel over the holiday. Here's how it breaks down for each day.
- Thursday: Best time to travel is before noon, the worst time to travel is between 4 and 6 p.m.
- Friday: Best time to travel is before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m., the worst time to travel is 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
- Saturday: The best time to travel is before noon, the worst time to travel is at 1 p.m.
- Sunday: Minimal traffic impact is expected
- Monday: Minimal traffic impact is expected
- Tuesday: The best time to travel is before 11 a.m. and after 6 p.m., the worst time to travel is between noon and 3 p.m.
- Wednesday: The best time to travel is before 2 p.m., the worst is between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Record air travel is also expected this year. AAA is projecting an 11.2% increase from last year and a more than 6% from 2019.