72.2 Million Americans Anticipated to Travel over July 4th Week – AAA Newsroom

WASHINGTON, DC (June 17, 2026) – AAA initiatives 72.2 million Americans will journey not less than 50 miles from house for Independence Day between Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, July 5. This yr’s home journey forecast surpasses final yr’s document of 71.8 million vacationers, however the improve is smaller than latest year-over-year beneficial properties. The variety of vacationers driving and flying to their locations is comparatively flat in comparison with final yr, whereas journey by different modes, together with cruises, is the class seeing the most important improve. 

“For many Americans, traveling the week of July 4th is tradition,” mentioned 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.” 

Independence Day Travelers by Mode of Transportation 

By Car: AAA initiatives 61.4 million folks will journey by automobile over July 4th week, practically the similar quantity as final yr when 61.3 million vacationers took highway journeys. 85% of Americans touring for Independence Day are anticipated to drive to their locations, regardless of fuel costs reaching four-year highs. Last yr, the nationwide common for a gallon of standard gasoline was $3.15. This yr, costs are larger however stay decrease than 2022, when the nationwide common was $4.80 on Independence Day. Despite larger fuel costs, filling up the tank throughout a highway journey continues to be cheaper than buying flights for a lot of vacationers, particularly for households with youngsters.    

For vacationers renting automobiles over July 4th, AAA automobile rental associate Hertz expects Thursday, July 2 to be the busiest pickup day. Hertz says Orlando, Denver, Boston, Los Angeles, and New York City are the cities with the very best demand primarily based on superior bookings. According to AAA reserving knowledge, home automobile leases are 10% dearer this vacation week in comparison with final yr. 

By Air: AAA initiatives 5.85 million vacationers will take home flights over July 4th week, a 0.2% improve over final yr. Air vacationers make up 8% of the share of vacation vacationers. According to AAA knowledge, which is predicated on what vacationers paid once they booked their Independence Day journeys, roundtrip home flights to prime locations like Chicago and Denver are 5% dearer. Domestic flights general are averaging about $830 a ticket. 

By Other Modes: Travel by different modes is seeing the most important year-over-year development in comparison with automobile and air journey. AAA initiatives 4.93 million Americans will take buses, trains, and cruises over Independence Day week, a 5.3% improve from final yr. This yr is additionally anticipated to surpass 2019’s determine of 4.79 million vacationers, due largely to the post-COVID cruising increase. Travelers are drawn to cruise holidays as a result of they know how much the trip will cost upfront, and the ship gives all-inclusive eating, varied leisure choices, and a number of locations. 

AAA’s Top Independence Day Destinations 

AAA members are heading to main U.S. cities over July 4th week and flying internationally to Canada and Europe. Alaska cruises are in peak season, that’s why Seattle, Anchorage, and Fairbanks are all prime home locations. Independence Day fireworks and festivities in New York, Chicago, and Boston additionally draw large crowds. Florida ranks excessive because of theme parks, seashores, and cruise ports. On the worldwide facet, Vancouver tops the checklist, adopted by main European cities like Rome, Dublin, Paris, and London.  

Summer Safety on the Road 

July 4th week might be particularly harmful on the highway with extra teen drivers behind the wheel and an increase in impaired driving resulting from vacation festivities. That’s why AAA is urging drivers to decide to 100 Days of Safe Driving this summer season. According to AAA crash knowledge evaluation, practically one in three summertime site visitors deaths entails an impaired driver. AAA, in partnership with MADD, reminds anybody who plans to drink or use impairing substances to rearrange a sober journey earlier than going out. 

Drivers getting ready to take highway journeys must also prioritize automobile upkeep and keep on prime of routine oil modifications, plus test battery situation and tire strain. Last yr throughout Independence Day week, AAA responded to greater than 687,000 roadside help calls. Half of these required towing providers, and practically 30% of these calls have been for battery alternative and flat tires.  

Once on the highway, AAA reminds drivers to Slow Down, Move Over every time there are emergency responders and stranded motorists on the facet of the highway. By decreasing velocity and altering lanes, drivers permit roadside employees to do their jobs safely and assist forestall tragedies. 

Best/Worst Times to Drive and Peak Congestion by Metro 

INRIX, a supplier of transportation knowledge and insights, says the second weekend of the vacation interval would be the busiest on the roads, beginning Thursday, July 2. But in sure metros, like Boston, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, peak congestion is anticipated Saturday, June 27. Drivers trying to keep away from the heaviest site visitors ought to depart early within the day or think about touring on Monday or Tuesday. 

Please be aware the instances listed beneath are for the time zone during which the metro is positioned. For instance, Atlanta routes = ET and Los Angeles routes = PT. 

SOURCE: INRIX 

SOURCE: INRIX 

Independence Day Holiday Travel Period  

AAA’s Independence Day vacation journey interval spans 9 days and consists of two weekends. This yr, the dates vary from Saturday, June 27 to Sunday, July 5. Historically, this vacation interval included just one weekend. The expanded journey window was instituted beginning in 2024 with historic outcomes calculated again to 2019 utilizing the brand new nine-day interval.    

Holiday Travel Forecast Methodology  

In cooperation with AAA, S&P Global Market Intelligence (SPGMI) developed a singular methodology to forecast precise home journey volumes. The financial variables used to forecast journey for the present vacation are leveraged from SPGMI’s proprietary databases. These knowledge embrace macroeconomic drivers equivalent to employment, output, family web price, asset costs together with inventory indices, rates of interest, housing market indicators, and variables associated to journey and tourism, together with gasoline costs, airline journey, and resort stays. AAA and SPGMI have quantified vacation journey volumes going again to 2000. 

Historical journey quantity estimates come from MMGY’s TRAVEL PERFORMANCE/MonitorSM. The PERFORMANCE/MonitorSM is a complete research measuring the journey habits of U.S. residents. MMGY contacts over 50,000 U.S. households every month to acquire detailed journey knowledge, ensuing within the distinctive potential to estimate customer quantity and spending, determine tendencies, and forecast U.S. journey habits, all after the journeys have been taken.   

The journey forecast is reported in person-trips. In explicit, AAA and SPGMI forecast the full U.S. vacation journey quantity and anticipated mode of transportation. The journey forecast offered on this report was finalized the week of May 18, 2026. 

Because AAA vacation forecasts give attention to home leisure journey solely, comparisons to TSA passenger screening numbers shouldn’t be made. TSA knowledge consists of all passengers touring on each home and worldwide routes, whether or not touring for work or leisure. Additionally, TSA screens passengers every time they enter secured areas of the airport, subsequently every one-way journey is counted as a passenger tally. AAA focuses on person-trips, which embrace the total round-trip journey itinerary. As a end result, direct comparisons of AAA forecast volumes and each day TSA screenings characterize various factors. 

INRIX Methodology 

INRIX blends statistically grounded fashions with real-world highway habits to forecast journey situations on probably the most closely traveled routes throughout the U.S. throughout peak vacation durations. INRIX’s vacation site visitors forecast combines pre-selected high-impact journey routes, wealthy multi-source site visitors knowledge, and a statistically sturdy linear regression mannequin to generate detailed, time-specific journey delay predictions. INRIX’s knowledge sources embrace a big selection of vehicle-based and infrastructure-based inputs. These embrace linked automobile GPS knowledge, cell apps and navigation providers, roadside sensors and cameras, and industrial fleet telematics. With expansive protection, excessive temporal decision, and historic context, this forecasting course of gives important insights for vacationers, media, and businesses alike. 

About AAA 

Founded in 1902 by automotive fanatics advocating for higher roads and safer mobility, AAA has grown into certainly one of North America’s largest and most trusted membership organizations. Guided by our mission to Save Lives, Create Member Value, and Deliver Exceptional Experiences, AAA gives world-class roadside help, journey planning, unique reductions, and dependable monetary and insurance coverage providers. Today, AAA enhances the life journey of greater than 66 million members throughout North America, together with over 58 million within the United States. Learn extra or grow to be a member at AAA.com. 

About S&P Global Market Intelligence  

At S&P Global Market Intelligence, we perceive the significance of correct, deep and insightful data. Our group of consultants delivers unequalled insights and main knowledge and know-how options, partnering with clients to develop their perspective, function with confidence, and make choices with conviction. S&P Global Market Intelligence is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI). S&P Global is the world’s foremost supplier of credit score rankings, benchmarks, analytics and workflow options within the world capital, commodity and automotive markets. With each certainly one of our choices, we assist most of the world’s main organizations navigate the financial panorama to allow them to plan for tomorrow, in the present day. For extra data, go to spglobal.com/marketintelligence. 

About MMGY 

MMGY Global is the world’s main built-in advertising and marketing agency specializing within the journey, hospitality, and way of life industries. With working manufacturers all over the world, the award-winning group maintains a world communications observe in all advertising and marketing channels, serving most of the world’s premier journey and tourism manufacturers. As an organization devoted to the journey trade, MMGY Global strives to create a linked, inclusive, and peaceable world by selling journey as a cultural bridge of understanding. For extra data, go to www.mmgyglobal.com. 

About INRIX    

Founded in 2004, INRIX pioneered clever mobility options by reworking large knowledge from linked units and autos into mobility insights. This revolutionary strategy enabled INRIX to grow to be one of many main suppliers of knowledge and analytics into how folks transfer. By empowering cities, companies, and other people with helpful insights, INRIX helps to make the world smarter, safer, and greener. With companions and options spanning throughout your entire mobility ecosystem, INRIX is uniquely positioned on the intersection of know-how and transportation – whether or not it’s holding highway customers secure, bettering site visitors sign timing to cut back delay and greenhouse gasses, optimizing final mile supply, or serving to uncover market insights. Learn extra at INRIX.com.