In a summer that has so far seen record-breaking crowds traveling over holidays, the week of the Fourth of July 2024 won’t be any exception. In fact, this Independence Day is projected to be one of the busiest travel days in US history.
Nearly 71 million people are expected to travel over the July Fourth holiday period from June 29 to July 7, according to estimates from AAA. That’s a jump of 5% more travelers than last year. “With summer vacations in full swing and the flexibility of remote work, more Americans are taking extended trips around Independence Day,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement. “We anticipate this July 4th week will be the busiest ever with an additional 5.7 million people traveling compared to 2019.”
From an air travel perspective, TSA predicts the July Fourth travel period will also be a record-setting week in terms of airline passengers. “We expect this summer to be our busiest ever and summer travel usually peaks over the Independence Day holiday,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement.
Of course, navigating these historic crowds will take a bit of planning—and patience—to ensure your holiday vacation doesn’t start off on an vexing note. Here’s how to best avoid traffic and crowds while traveling this July Fourth, whether you’re taking a trip by train, plane, or car.
Road trips
The most popular mode of transport by far over the holiday week will be road tripping. “AAA projects a record 60.6 million people will travel by car over Independence Day week—that’s an additional 2.8 million travelers compared to last year,” says AAA’s report.
That means if you’re planning to set out by car, choosing the exact right time to hit the road could make all the difference. Depart at the wrong time, and your road trip could take up to 67% longer than normal, according to projections by Inrix, a traffic analysis firm that collaborated with AAA on its report.
In general, plan to get an early start. Inrix’s data shows the best times to travel by car on Wednesday July 3 and Thursday July 4 are before noon, while road trippers traveling on July 6 and 7 should aim to depart before 10 a.m.
To side-step the worst slow-downs, there are a couple of popular travel days that would best be avoided if possible. “Drivers in large metro areas can expect the worst traffic delays on Wednesday, July 3rd, as they leave town, and Sunday, July 7th, as they return,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at Inrix. AAA’s report also shows the peak congestion periods for the holiday in 16 major cities across the US—and it’s definitely worth taking into consideration. For example, if you plan to depart Chicago via I-65 South, the worst congestion is predicted to take place on July 3 at 2:45 p.m., potentially adding a whopping 61% to your travel time.
For those renting cars, the busiest pick-up days are expected to be June 28, June 29, and July 3, according to data from Hertz. The rental company also says that the cities with the highest demand for rental cars over Independence Day week are Dallas, Denver, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. If you’re getting a car on those days or from one of those cities, check to see if your rental company offers an express pick-up option. These expedited reservations usually allow travelers who have free loyalty memberships with the car company to skip the line or be processed through a fast lane.
Air travel
The only thing worse than being stuck on the freeway is missing a flight because of long lines and traffic jams at the airport. And this July Fourth, there will be historic crowds transiting through US airports: 5.74 million people plan to travel by plane, AAA’s data shows, an uptick of 7% compared to 2023.
