Over 70M people traveling for July Fourth: Here are the best, worst times to travel

Traveling for Independence Day? You won’t be alone.

With holiday travel comes traffic and unless you enjoy doubling or tripling a one-hour car ride, those traveling for Thursday, July 4 may want to plan ahead to pick a reasonable day and time to hit the road.

This year, the American Automobile Association, or AAA, projects July 4 will be the busiest on record with 5.7 million more people traveling nationwide compared to 2019, and more than 70 million traveling 50 or more miles from home.

“Road trips over the holiday week could take up to 67% longer than normal,” Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX, told AAA. “Travelers should monitor 511 services, local news stations, and traffic apps for up-to-the-minute road conditions.”

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Whether you’re traveling to a relatives’ for burgers and dogs, or retreating to a campground for fresh air, here are some of the best (and worst) times to leave for your July Fourth trip, according to travel experts AAA, Hertz and transportation analytics, INRIX.

Best and worst times to travel, July 1-8

Nationally, the busiest days are projected to be Friday, June 28, Saturday, June 29 and Wednesday, July 3, according to AAA’s car rental partner, Hertz.

The worst times to travel on the days leading up to the Fourth of July, including the Fourth, are 2 p.m. until 7 p.m., according to INRIX.

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The two worst days for delays are Wednesday, July 3, and Sunday, July 7.

Peak congestion time in Boston to Hyannis via Route 3 is expected on the Fourth at 1:45 p.m. with a 31% decrease in travel time, according to INRIX.

Monday, July 1

Traffic is expected to be minimal with anytime being an OK time to start traveling.

Tuesday, July 2

Traffic is expected to be worst between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., with anytime after 7 p.m. being the best time to travel Tuesday.

Wednesday, July 3, and Thursday, July 4

The worst time to travel is between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The best time to travel is before noon, according to INRIX.

Friday, July 5

Traffic is expected to be worst between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Friday. INRIX suggests the best time to travel is before 10 a.m.

Saturday, July 6

The best time to travel on Saturday, July 6, is before 10 a.m. Traffic is supposed to be worst between 10:20 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. according to INRIX.

Sunday, July 7

Traffic is expected to be worst Sunday between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. INRIX suggests the best time to travel is before 11 a.m.

Monday, July 8

The worst time to travel on Monday is between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. The best time to travel is after 7 p.m., according to INRIX.