A record 46.9 million Americans are expected to travel by car, train and plane this 4th of July holiday, according to the American Automobile Association. The number will mark the fifth consecutive year in which 4th of July travel by Americans has increased and the highest level of travel that the group has ever recorded.
The AAA has been keeping record of the number since 2000.
The average price of gallon of gas in the U.S. reached $2.87 this week, down from the 2018 high of $2.97 reached over the Memorial Day weekend last month. But it is still up 59 cents from a year ago at this time.
The increase is not enough to keep Americans off the road, however. Travel by car is expected to increase for the fourth straight year to 39.7 million. This number will be 5.1%, or 2 million, more Americans than in 2017.
“Confident consumers with additional disposable income will look to spend on travel this holiday, building on an already busy summer travel season,” said Senior Vice President of AAA Travel and Publishing Bill Sutherland.
AAA also says that because the Fourth falls in the middle of the week this year (it will be on a Wednesday) travelers will be allowed flexibility to fly either before or after the holiday. The organization expects air travel to increase by 7.9% to 3.76 million passengers this year.
The top domestic destinations for travelers this year are Orlando, FL, Anaheim, CA and Seattle, Washington, according to the group.
Photo by Airman 1st Class Michael Smith via U.S. Air Force