AAA projects 70.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Independence Day holiday travel period. For the first time, AAA looked at the entire July 4th week, plus the Saturday before and the Sunday after the holiday. This year’s projected number of travelers for that time period is a 5% increase compared to 2023 and an 8% increase from 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, SVP, AAA Travel. “We anticipate this July 4th week will be the busiest ever with an additional 5.7 million people traveling compared to 2019.”
AAA projects a record 60.6 million people will travel by car over Independence Day week—that’s an additional 2.8 million travelers compared to last year. This year’s number also surpasses 2019 when 55.3 million people traveled by car over July 4th week.
Gas prices are lower than last year when the national average was $3.53. Pump prices will likely continue going down leading up to Independence Day. At that point, they will likely level off and remain relatively stable until after Labor Day, similar to last year. An important caveat is hurricane season—underway now—which could affect gas prices should a storm negatively impact Gulf Coast oil production and refining centers.
The number of air travelers is also expected to set a new record. AAA projects 5.74 million people will fly to their July 4th destinations. That’s an increase of nearly 7% compared to last year and a 12% increase from 2019. AAA booking data shows domestic airfare is 2% cheaper this Independence Day week compared to last year, and the average price for a domestic roundtrip ticket is $800.
More than 4.6 million people are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, including buses, cruises and trains. This category is seeing an increase of 9% compared to last year, but this year’s number is shy of 2019’s figure of 4.79 million. Cruising continues its remarkable post-pandemic comeback. This time of year, Alaska cruises are in high demand, making Seattle and Anchorage top domestic destinations.
This July 4th week, travelers are cooling off in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska—and by the ocean. Seattle, Vancouver and Anchorage are top destinations because of the popularity of Alaska cruises this time of year. Beaches in South Florida, Honolulu, Punta Cana and Barcelona are in high demand. Historical sites in European cities like London, Rome, Dublin, Paris and Athens are also popular.
