Planning on traveling to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday?
If so, you’ll be joining a record number of travelers hitting the roads and skies for the Fourth of July.
More than 72 million people are expected to travel for Independence Day between Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, July 5, according to AAA. That’s a slight increase from last year’s domestic travel record of 71.8 million.
“For many Americans, traveling the week of July 4th is tradition,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. “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.”
The vast majority — 61.4 million — will travel by car, even as gas prices remain at four-year highs. That’s because filling up your car’s tank is still cheaper that the cost of flights for many travelers, according to AAA, which noted domestic flights are averaging about $830 a ticket for the holiday weekend.
Air travelers will make up 8% of the share of holiday travelers, with AAA projecting 5.85 million people taking domestic flights over July 4th.
Renting a car? That’s also more expensive this year. According to AAA booking data, domestic car rentals are up 10% this year.
Car rental company Hertz expects Thursday, July 2, to be the busiest pickup day, with the highest demand for bookings at cities like Orlando, Denver, Boston, Los Angeles and New York City.
Top Independence Day destinations
Alaska cruises are in peak season, making Seattle, Anchorage and Fairbanks top domestic destinations. Independence Day fireworks and festivities in New York, Chicago and Boston also draw big crowds. Florida ranks high thanks to theme parks, beaches and cruise ports. On the international side, Vancouver tops the list, followed by major European cities like Rome, Dublin, Paris and London.
| RANKING | DOMESTIC | INTERNATIONAL |
| 1 | SEATTLE, WA | VANCOUVER, CANADA |
| 2 | ORLANDO, FL | ROME, ITALY |
| 3 | ANCHORAGE, AK | DUBLIN, IRELAND |
| 4 | MIAMI, FL | PARIS, FRANCE |
| 5 | NEW YORK, NY | LONDON, ENGLAND |
| 6 | CHICAGO, IL | CALGARY, CANADA |
| 7 | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL | REYKJAVIK, ICELAND |
| 8 | FAIRBANKS, AK | AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS |
| 9 | DENVER, CO | ATHENS, GREECE |
| 10 | BOSTON, MA | BARCELONA, SPAIN |
Best and worst times to drive
| Date | Worst Travel Time | Best Travel Time |
| Saturday, Jun 27 | 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Before 10:00 AM |
| Sunday, Jun 28 | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Before 11:00 AM |
| Monday, Jun 29 | 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Before 12:00 PM |
| Tuesday, Jun 30 | 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Before 2:00 PM |
| Wednesday, Jul 1 | 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Before 12:00 PM |
| Thursday, Jul 2 | 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Before 12:00 PM |
| Friday, Jul 3 | 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Before 11:00 AM |
| Saturday, Jul 4 | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM | After 3:00 PM |
| Sunday, Jul 5 | 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Before 11:00 AM |
Peak Congestion by Metro
| Metro | Route | Peak Congestion Period | Est. Travel Time | Increase Compared to Typical |
| Atlanta | Atlanta to Augusta via I-20 E | Thursday 2nd 2:00 PM | 3 hours 1 minute | 58% |
| Boston | Boston to Hyannis via Pilgrim Hwy S | Saturday 27th 10:45 AM | 2 hours 1 minute | 100% |
| Chicago | Indianapolis to Chicago via I-65 N | Sunday 5th 5:30 PM | 4 hours 6 minutes | 41% |
| Denver | Denver to Fort Collins via I-25 N | Monday 29th 2:30 PM | 1 hour 36 minutes | 78% |
| Detroit | Detroit to Grand Rapids via I-96 W | Thursday 2nd 8:15 AM | 2 hours 55 minutes | 32% |
| Houston | Galveston to Houston via I-45 N | Sunday 5th 1:00 PM | 1 hour 13 minutes | 71% |
| Los Angeles | Los Angeles to Bakersfield via I-5 N | Saturday 27th 2:45 PM | 2 hours 2 minutes | 67% |
| Minneapolis | Eau Claire to Minneapolis via I-94 W | Sunday 5th 3:00 PM | 1 hour 56 minutes | 73% |
| New York | Jersey Shore to New York via Garden St Pkwy N | Sunday 5th 12:45 PM | 1 hour 55 minutes | 90% |
| Philadelphia | Philadelphia to Rehoboth Beach via I-95 S/Route 13 | Saturday 27th 11:00 AM | 3 hours 18 minutes | 74% |
| Portland | Portland to Hood River via I-84 E | Thursday 2nd 2:30 PM | 1 hour 32 minutes | 67% |
| San Diego | San Diego to Palm Springs via I-15 N | Wednesday 1st 6:15 PM | 4 hours 12 minutes | 68% |
| San Francisco | Sacramento to San Francisco via I-80 W | Sunday 5th 4:00 PM | 2 hours 24 minutes | 71% |
| Seattle | Ellensburg to Seattle via I-90 W | Sunday 5th 5:00 PM | 3 hours 24 minutes | 89% |
| Tampa | Tampa to Orlando via I-4 E | Wednesday 1st 2:15 PM | 2 hours 43 minutes | 80% |
| Washington, DC | Washington, DC to Annapolis via 50 E | Friday 3rd 12:45 PM | 1 hour 1 minute | 100% |
from NBC Chicago https://ift.tt/gj4NMtB
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