What to expect for travel during this Fourth of July weekend

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If you’re planning on traveling during the holiday weekend, prepare for a busy one.

Independence Day is often the busiest time to travel during the summer and this year AAA expects it to be a record-breaking year with 72.2 million people that will be traveling at least 50 miles from home between last Saturday to Sunday, July 6, according to a press release.

In comparison, this projection is 1.7 million more than in 2024 and 7 million more than in 2019.

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“Summertime is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year, and July 4th is one of the most popular times to get away,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, in a statement.

“Following Memorial Day’s record forecast, AAA is seeing strong demand for road trips and air travel over Independence Day week,” Barber added. “With the holiday falling on a Friday, travelers have the option of making it a long weekend or taking the entire week to make memories with family and friends.”

So if you’re packing up the car for a road trip or heading to the airport to board a plane, here is what you can expect this weekend.

Air travel

On June 24, the Transportation Security Administration released a statement about the amount of flyers expected for the holiday weekend.

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TSA stated it is expecting to screen over 18.5 million passengers between Tuesday, July 1, and Monday, July 7, with Sunday, July 6, being the peak with 2.9 million people expected at the airport.

Most recently TSA reported in a statement that it screened nearly 3.1 million travelers on Sunday, June 22, making it the busiest day in the agency’s history.

From technology to procedures, TSA is doing all it can to make things go smoothly for passengers trying to get to their destinations, the release said.

“TSA continues to work closely with our industry partners and ensure our airport security checkpoints are fully staffed and prepared to handle the heavy rush of traffic,” said TSA Acting Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, in the press release. “We are deploying technologies and procedures to improve security and enhance the passenger experience, including for families. We ask travelers to pack their patience, especially during peak travel days, as we work to provide maximum hospitality to our customers.”

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ABC News reported that July 3, will be the busiest day to leave for the Fourth of July weekend, but Tuesday, July 8, will be the least busy to fly home.

Tips for flyers

When it comes to best practices, for those making their way through airport security with children 12 and under, TSA has various suggestions to help families on its website.

TSA also urges passenger to bring their REAL IDs or another acceptable form of ID to the security checkpoint, according to the press release.

Ticket prices

According to USA Today, summer flight prices are down by 7% since last year. For the holiday weekend, ticket prices for domestic flights average around $585 — higher by 3.4% — with international flights averaging $1,396 — higher by 3.9%.

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But if you’re still looking for an affordable to day to fly back from the holiday, Tuesday, July 8, will be the most affordable, according to ABC.

Destinations

As for popular destinations, ABC shared the following locations as hot spots for travelers for Independence Day:

Los Angeles, California

Seattle, Washington

Las Vegas, Nevada

New York City, New York

Miami, Florida

Orlando, Florida

Cancun, Mexico

Traffic moves along I-15 N in Draper on Friday, May 23, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News

Road travel

For those of you that are heading on the road, AAA predicted that 61.1 million people will be traveling on the road for the Fourth of July, 2.2% million more than last year — the highest on record.

While drivers are seeing gas prices increase, they will be happy to know that the prices at the pump this summer are the lowest they’ve been since 2021, per AAA.

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However, drivers should anticipate Wednesday, July 2, to be the busiest day to head out and for Sunday, July 6, to be the busiest to return home. During the rest of the holiday weekend, afternoons are predicted to have the most congested, according to USA Today.

As for those renting cars, AAA is expecting Thursday, July 3, to be the busiest day for picking up vehicles.

Tips for drivers

Last year during the Fourth of July week, AAA stated that it responded to 700,000 emergency roadside assistance calls that involved issues consisting of dead batteries, flat tires, being locked out of the car and running out of gas.

In response, the roadside assistance service advices drivers to have routine vehicle maintenances checks before heading out on the road, as well as packing an emergency kit.

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USA Today suggested that drivers aim to travel for the following times during the Independence Day holiday to avoid heavy traffic.

Tuesday, July 1 — Before 2 p.m.

Wednesday, July 2 — Before noon

Thursday, July 3 — Before noon

Friday, July 4 — Before noon

Saturday, July 5 — Before 11 a.m.

Sunday, July 6 — Before 11 a.m.

Destinations

Based on rental car bookings, AAA found the following destinations to be popular destinations.

Seattle, Washington

Denver, Colorado

Boston, Massachusetts

Oahu, Hawaii