Americans Set To Travel In Record Numbers For July 4th

Fourth of July holiday travel is expected to reach a new record high in 2024, as more than 70 million Americans are forecast to hit the road or the skies to travel more than 50 miles for this year’s celebrations.

That’s according to projections from AAA who are predicting that 60.6 million Americans will take to the nation’s roads, while 5.7 million will take a plane and 4.6 million will travel by train or other means for Independence Day.

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As Statista’s Felix Richter notes, that represents an increase of 5 percent from last year and 8 percent from 2019, as low air fares and gas prices are fueling Americans’ appetite for travel.

“With summer vacations in full swing and the flexibility of remote work, more Americans are taking extended trips around Independence Day,” Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel said in a statement.

“We anticipate this July 4th week will be the busiest ever with an additional 5.7 million people traveling compared to 2019.”

All modes of transport are set to see a noticeable increase this year and road trips will continue to dominate Fourth of July travel.

85 percent of travelers are expected to drive to their holiday destination as gas prices have eased from the historic highs of the past two years.

Even though air travel is far less common for Independence Day celebrations, airports are expected to be busier than ever these days.

In the weeks leading up to July 4, the TSA reported several new records for performed safety checks at U.S. airports.