Independence Day travel projected to be heaviest in years

While fireworks will be bursting in the sky this Fourth of July, there will going to be plenty of action on the road as well for travelers this holiday weekend.

Independence Day will be packed with travelers in what promises to be one of the most jammed holidays on roads and in airports. Officially, the federal holiday falls on Thursday, July 4. But many will choose to take Friday off from work as well, even though it is not federally mandated, prompting what will turn into a four-day weekend for many.

But AAA motor club officials are predicting that the unofficial holiday period will run from Saturday, June 29, through Sunday, July 7.

AAA Florida projects some 70.9 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more for the Fourth of July stretch. Out of those, an estimated 4.5 million Floridians will travel somewhere during the period celebrating the nation’s founding.

“The summer travel season is off to a hot start and we expect to set new travel records on the road and in the sky during the week of Independence Day,” said Debbie Haas, vice president of travel for AAA — The Auto Club Group. “There will be 3.5 million more travelers than last year. That means even more people at airports and popular attractions like beaches, lakes, and theme parks.”

Florida travelers specifically are likely to spike considerably compared to last year’s Independence Day stretch. AAA officials say while there will be 4.5 million people from the Sunshine State who will likely choose to go somewhere for the holiday festivities, about 3.9 million of those will be on the road traveling by vehicle. Another 324,000 will travel by air and 195,000 will use another mode of transportation such as train or public bus.

Collectively, those Florida numbers are up by about 300,000 over the 2023 travel figures over the Fourth of July holiday period. This year’s projected Independence Day travel in Florida is an increase of nearly 1 million more travelers than in 2022.

Three Florida cities are among the top 10 domestic destinations for travelers surrounding the Fourth of July, according to AAA. Orlando, Miami and Fort Lauderdale were in that top 10 list, with Orlando ranked second, Miami fifth and Fort Lauderdale seventh. Seattle was at the top of that list.

Nationally, Fourth of July travel is projected to increase by about 3.5 million travelers total compared to a year ago, and projections are about 5.7 million higher than 2019 figures before the COVID pandemic, according to AAA figures.

AAA officials say the best times to book flights or hit the road are generally before 10 a.m. and after 7 p.m. The worst time to travel is between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., according to the organization.

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