More Than 50 Million Americans Will Travel for July 4 — Here Are the Best Times to Hit the Road

The expected number of Americans traveling this year is higher than 2019.

More than 50 million Americans are expected to travel for the July 4 holiday weekend, the most travelers to ever hit the road for the holiday.

In total, 50.7 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more over the holiday period from Friday, June 30, to Tuesday, July 4, according to AAA. That’s more than the previous July 4 record of 49 million travelers set in 2019, and 2.1 million more travelers than 2022.

“We’ve never projected travel numbers this high for Independence Day weekend,” Paula Twidale, the senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a 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.”

Most travelers will hit the road with 43.2 million travelers expected to drive to their destinations. For those travelers, timing is key: The busiest day on the road will be Friday, June 30, when average travel times will be up nearly 30 percent. That will be especially true in major metro areas like Boston, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

Alternatively, the best days to travel will be Sunday, July 2, and Monday, July 3. Travelers who are intent on driving on the other holiday weekend days should consider leaving in the mornings or after 6 p.m. to avoid the worst of the traffic.

July 4 travelers are also planning to fly in record numbers with 4.17 million Americans expected to take to the skies, according to AAA. That’s an 11.2 percent increase compared to last year and a 6.6 percent increase compared to 2019 (when the previous record of air travelers over the holiday weekend was set).

The forecast comes as domestic airfare for the July 4 holiday weekend has dropped 27 percent compared to last year even as international travel remains very high. An average round trip domestic flight for the holiday weekend now costs $300 — or $100 less than the same time last year — but flights to Europe continue to be the highest they’ve been in at least five years.

In addition to driving and flying, cruising is back to pre-pandemic levels with cruises to Alaska in particularly high demand, AAA noted. In total, 3.36 million people are expected to travel by cruise, bus, or train over the holiday weekend, a 24 percent increase compared to 2022.

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