AAA: Nearly 71 million Americans expected to travel for 4th of July

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — With the 4th of July right around the corner, AAA expects nearly 71 million will be traveling 50 miles away or more starting this weekend.

For the first time ever, the auto club looked at travel statistics for the entire “Independence Week,” from the Saturday before the holiday until the Sunday after, AAA spokesperson Jillian Young told 12 News.

Young explained that after the pandemic, people are taking longer trips for two main reasons: “A lot of people have more flexibility than before with remote work or hybrid work, and there is all of this pent-up desire for travel.”

Auto travel

She said 60 million people are going to be traveling by car, since gas prices are lower than this time last year.

AAA expects the busiest travel days to be July 3 and July 7 and recommends that people head out early to travel to their holiday destination.

Air travel

Additionally, around 5.7 million people will be flying to their Independence Day destinations.

“We are encouraging people to arrive almost 2 hours ahead of your flight,” Young said. “Reserve parking ahead of time, and if you can, pack in a carry-on instead of a checked bag.”