July 4th holiday expected to set travel numbers record

AAA predicts drivers will experience the worst congestion on Tuesday, July 3 in the late afternoon.

The vast majority of travelers — 39.7 million — will hit the road this Independence Day, 5.1% more than last year. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Pack your patience! If you are traveling by car, plane, train, bus or cruise ship this Fourth of July holiday, you will be joined by a record number of your fellow Americans celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

Related: 4th of July: Most dangerous summer holiday for drivers [infographic]

A record-breaking 46.9 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home this Independence Day holiday, according to AAA. The predicted number of travelers is an increase of more than 5% compared with last year and the highest number since AAA started tracking 18 years ago.

Tuesday will be the busiest day

For the 39.7 million Americans planning a Fourth of July road trip, INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, predicts travel times in the most congested cities in the U.S. could be twice as long than the normal trip, with Tuesday being the busiest day.

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“This Independence Day will be one for the record books, as more Americans take to the nation’s roads, skies, rails and waterways than ever before,” said Bill Sutherland, senior vice president, AAA Travel and Publishing. “Confident consumers with additional disposable income will look to spend on travel this holiday, building on an already busy summer travel season.”

In addition to strong economic variables, the expected increase in travelers this year is helped by Independence Day falling on a Wednesday, giving travelers more flexibility to schedule a trip the weekend before or after the holiday. The Independence Day holiday period is defined as Tuesday, July 3 to Sunday, July 8.

Travel forecast

Theme parks are major draws

This Independence Day, travelers will flock to theme parks in Orlando and southern California, while many others are heading west. Alaska cruises departing from Seattle, Anchorage and Vancouver round out the top five U.S. travel destinations for the holiday.

Top 5 domestic travel destinations:

  1. Orlando, Florida.
  2. Anaheim, California.
  3. Seattle Washington.
  4. Anchorage, Alaska.
  5. Honolulu, Hawaii.

For those venturing overseas, Europe is a major draw, with Rome, London, Dublin and Paris all making the list of top international travel destinations for Independence Day.

Roadside assistance

AAA expects to rescue more than 362,000 motorists at the roadside around the Independence Day holiday. Dead batteries, lockouts and flat tires will be the leading reasons AAA members will experience car trouble.

AAA recommends motorists take their vehicle to a trusted repair facility to perform any needed maintenance before heading out. Oil changes, fluid level checks, battery tests and tire inspections go a long way toward reducing the chances of a breakdown.

Related: Car crash deaths predicted to reach nearly 600 over July 4th holiday