AAA forecasts record Independence Day holiday traffic

More than 88% of travelers - or nearly 180,000 Delawareans - will traveling by vehicle, up 2.8% over last year. A

ir travel is up 0.8% over last year, with AAA, with 7.1% of local travelers, taking flights.

Travel by other modes of transportation, is up 6.9% over last year.

 “With school out for the summer and remote work flexibility for many people, this July 4^th week will be the busiest ever as Americans prioritize travel opportunities around the holiday,” said Jana Tidwell, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Independence Day is always the busiest travel holiday of summer, with this year looking at the highest number of travelers on record.”

2025 Projected Independence Day Holiday Travelers – Delaware 

*U.S. Census Bureau (v2024)/MMGY Global

Nationally, AAA projects 72.2 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Independence Day holiday travel period. This year’s projected number of travelers for that time period is a 2.4% increase compared to 2023.

 AAA projects a record 61.6 million people will travel by car over Independence Day week – up 2.2% over last year. 

The number of air travelers is also expected to set a new record. AAA projects 5.84 million people will fly to their July 4^th destinations, up 1.3% compared to last year. AAA booking data shows domestic airfare is up 4% this Independence Day week compared to last year, and the average price for a domestic roundtrip ticket is $810. 

More than 4.7 million people are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, including buses, cruises, and trains. This category is seeing an increase of 7.2% compared to last year. 

 AAA’s Top Independence Day Destinations 

The top holiday destinations listed below are based on AAA booking data for the Independence Day travel period. Cruises, beaches, and fireworks are the main motivators for travelers heading to these cities. Alaska cruises are in peak season, Florida and Hawaii are in high demand for their resorts and attractions, and New York and Boston host two of the most popular fireworks shows in the nation. Internationally, Vancouver tops the list followed by Europe’s most in-demand cities during the summer.

Best/Worst Times to Drive and Peak Congestion by Metro

INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, expects Wednesday, July 2 and Sunday, July 6 to be the busiest days on the road.

Afternoon hours will be the most congested. Drivers should hit the road in the morning to avoid the worst traffic, but keep in mind construction, crashes, or severe weather could impact travel times.

Times listed below are for the time zone in which the metro is located. For example, Atlanta routes = ET and Los Angeles routes = PT.

SOURCE: INRIX

SOURCE: INRIX

The Independence Day holiday travel period is defined as the nine-day period from Saturday, June 28 to Sunday, July 6. Historically, this holiday period included only one weekend. The expanded travel window was instituted starting in 2024 with historical results calculated back to 2019 using the new nine-day period.