SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) — If you are traveling this Fourth of July week you are not alone. According to AAA, there is a projected 70.9 million travelers this holiday week expected to travel 50 miles or more.
AAA travel announced this year’s travel numbers will increase 5% from 2023 and 8% from 2019. Senior Vice President of AAA travel Paula Twidale said that she believes there are clear cut reasons for the spike in travel this year.
“With summer vacations in full swing and the flexibility of remote work, more Americans are taking extended trips around Independence Day,” said Twidale.
According to AAA’s 2024 Independence Travel Forecast, just under 61 million people will be traveling by car over the holiday week, and around 6 million will be traveling by plane.
With a record breaking number of people on the road it is important to be aware of the best times to hop in the car and get the road trip started.
According to traffic data collected by analytics company INRIX, the worst time to hop in the car on Fourth of July day are between the hours 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. On the days before and after the holiday INRIX suggests it is best to stay off the road during rush hour times in the mornings and evenings.