- AAA projects 72.2 million Americans will travel for July 4.
- New York, Chicago and Boston top destinations.
- About 61.4 million people will travel by car.
APPROXIMATELY 72.2 MILLION Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for the July 4 holiday weekend, according to AAA Travel. The forecast exceeds last year's record of 71.8 million travelers but reflects a smaller year-over-year increase.
Travel by car and air is flat compared with last year, while travel by other modes, including cruises, shows the largest increase, AAA said in a statement. AAA members are traveling to major U.S. cities during the July 4 week and flying to Canada and Europe.
“For many Americans, traveling the week of July 4 is tradition,” said Stacey Barber, AAA Travel vice president. “The 9-day travel forecast includes travelers who are vacationing all week and people just getting away for the long holiday weekend. While the overall number of Independence Day travelers appears to be plateauing, we’re still expecting record volumes this year.”
Travel by mode
AAA projects 61.4 million people will travel by car during the July 4 week, compared with 61.3 million last year. About 85 percent of Independence Day travelers are expected to drive. Gas prices are at a four-year high but remain below 2022 levels, when the national average reached $4.80 per gallon on Independence Day. Driving remains cheaper than flying for many travelers, especially families with children.
AAA projects 5.85 million people will take domestic flights during the July 4 week, a 0.2 percent increase from last year. Air travelers account for 8 percent of holiday travel. Based on AAA booking data, roundtrip domestic fares to destinations such as Chicago and Denver are up 5 percent. Domestic flights average about $830.
Bus, train and cruise travel shows the largest year-over-year increase. AAA projects 4.93 million people will travel this way during Independence Day week, up 5.3 percent from last year and above 2019's 4.79 million, driven largely by the post-pandemic cruise boom.
Independence Day destinations
Alaska cruises are driving travel to Seattle, along with Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska. New York, Chicago and Boston attract visitors for holiday events, while Florida remains popular for theme parks, beaches, and cruise ports.
Top domestic destinations are Seattle; Orlando, Florida; Anchorage; Miami; New York; Chicago; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Fairbanks; Denver and Boston.
Earlier this year, AAA forecast a record 45 million Americans would travel over Memorial Day, May 21 to 25, including 39.1 million by car and 3.66 million by air.
