Record 72.2 Million Americans Will Travel This July 4 With 61 Million Driving

A record 72.2 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over Independence Day week, and 61.4 million of them will do it behind the wheel. If you are one of them, the most useful things to know are simple: the roads will be worst in the afternoons, the single busiest travel day is Thursday, July 2, and a little planning around departure times can save you hours. AAA released the forecast on June 17, covering the nine-day window from Saturday, June 27 through Sunday, July 5.

This year’s projection edges past last year’s record of 71.8 million travelers, though the rate of growth is slowing. “For many Americans, traveling the week of July 4th is tradition,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “While the overall number of Independence Day travelers appears to be plateauing, we’re still expecting record volumes this year.” Here is how to plan your drive, what it will cost, and how to avoid joining the hundreds of thousands of stranded motorists who call for help every July 4 week.

The Numbers Behind a Record Holiday

Driving dominates the holiday. AAA projects 61.4 million people will travel by car, nearly identical to the 61.3 million who took road trips last year, and 85 percent of all Independence Day travelers are expected to drive to their destinations. Air travel accounts for a much smaller slice, with 5.85 million people flying, an 0.2 percent increase over last year and about 8 percent of the holiday total. Travel by other modes, including buses, trains, and cruises, is the fastest-growing category at 4.93 million travelers, up 5.3 percent and driven largely by a continued cruising boom.

The top domestic destinations reflect a mix of fireworks-friendly cities and peak-season cruise hubs. Seattle leads, followed by Orlando, Anchorage, Miami, and New York, with Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Fairbanks, Denver, and Boston rounding out the top ten. Alaska cruise season is part of why Seattle, Anchorage, and Fairbanks all rank so high. For travelers flying instead of driving, our guide to what the new TSA fee means for summer flyers without a Real ID is worth a read before you head to the airport.

The Best and Worst Times to Hit the Road

Transportation data firm INRIX, which partners with AAA on the forecast, says the second weekend of the holiday period will be the busiest on the roads, building from Thursday, July 2. In several metros, including Boston, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, peak congestion is expected even earlier, on Saturday, June 27. The advice is consistent across the week: leave early in the morning, or push your trip to a Monday or Tuesday when traffic eases.

The day-by-day pattern is clear. On Thursday, July 2, the worst window is roughly 2:00 to 6:00 PM, with mornings before noon the best time to drive. On Friday, July 3, congestion runs from about noon to 7:00 PM, so aim to be on the road before 11:00 AM. On the Fourth of July itself, the heaviest traffic falls between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM, and the roads clear after 3:00 PM. On Sunday, July 5, when many travelers head home, expect the worst from noon to 6:00 PM and try to leave before 11:00 AM.

Some specific routes will be brutal. INRIX projects the drive from Boston to Hyannis on Cape Cod and the Washington, DC to Annapolis run could take roughly twice as long as normal at their peaks. Seattle to and from the mountains, the New Jersey shore back into New York, and Sacramento to San Francisco are all forecast to run 70 to 90 percent above typical travel times during their worst windows. If your route includes a beach, a lake, or a mountain corridor, assume the delay estimates apply to you and plan your departure accordingly.

What It Costs and How to Save

Gas prices are higher this summer than last, sitting at four-year highs for the holiday, though they have been easing in recent weeks. For context, the national average for regular was $3.15 a gallon last Independence Day, and prices this year are above that but still below the $4.80 average seen on the Fourth of July in 2022. Even at elevated prices, AAA notes that filling the tank for a road trip is still cheaper than buying flights for many travelers, especially families with children.

If you are renting, expect to pay more and book around the crowds. AAA’s rental partner Hertz expects Thursday, July 2 to be the busiest pickup day, with the highest demand in Orlando, Denver, Boston, Los Angeles, and New York City. Domestic car rentals are running about 10 percent more expensive this holiday week than last year. Flying is pricier too: domestic round-trip flights to top destinations like Chicago and Denver are up about 5 percent, with domestic tickets averaging roughly $830.

To trim the cost of driving, map your fuel stops in advance and use a fuel-price app to find cheaper stations off the interstate, where prices are often lower than at exits. Keep your tires properly inflated, since underinflated tires cut fuel economy, and avoid hard acceleration and high speeds, which burn more gas. Packing a cooler with food and drinks also avoids marked-up highway convenience stops, a small saving that adds up over a long trip with a full car.

Staying Safe and Avoiding a Breakdown

July 4 week is one of the most dangerous stretches on the calendar. According to AAA crash data analysis, nearly one in three summertime traffic deaths involves an impaired driver, and the holiday brings both more teen drivers and more drinking. AAA, in partnership with MADD, urges anyone who plans to drink or use impairing substances to arrange a sober ride before going out. The group is also asking drivers to commit to its 100 Days of Safe Driving campaign across the summer months.

Mechanical trouble is the other holiday hazard, and it is largely preventable. Last year during Independence Day week, AAA responded to more than 687,000 roadside assistance calls. Half required a tow, and nearly 30 percent were for battery replacement and flat tires. Before you leave, check your battery’s condition, confirm tire pressure and tread, top off fluids, and stay current on oil changes. A 15-minute pre-trip check is far cheaper than a tow on a packed holiday weekend when help can take hours to arrive.

Once you are rolling, AAA reminds drivers to Slow Down and Move Over for emergency responders and stranded motorists on the shoulder, a law in every state that protects roadside workers and other drivers. Put together, the plan for a smoother holiday is straightforward: leave early or travel midweek, prep the car before you go, line up a sober ride if you will be drinking, and build extra time into any route that ends at a beach or a mountain. Do that, and you are far less likely to spend your Fourth stuck in traffic or waiting on the shoulder.

It is worth understanding why the holiday window keeps growing. AAA expanded its Independence Day travel period to nine days starting in 2024, recognizing that many travelers now stretch the celebration across two weekends rather than a single long weekend. That longer window is part of why the headline number keeps setting records even as year-over-year growth slows. For planning purposes, it means congestion is spread across more days, so the shoulder days early in the period can be noticeably calmer than the Thursday-to-Sunday crush.

If you drive an electric vehicle, plan charging stops the way you would plan fuel stops, and expect popular fast-charging sites along major corridors to have waits during peak afternoons. Charging overnight at your destination, where possible, sidesteps the busiest public stations entirely. Whatever you drive, building flexibility into your departure time remains the most reliable way to beat the worst of the traffic, and it costs nothing but a little planning.

Sources:

• https://newsroom.aaa.com/2026/06/72-2-million-americans-expected-to-travel-over-july-4th-week/
• https://inrix.com/