Photo / Peter Van Allen
Fireworks lit up the sky over Castine harbor on July 4, 2024.
July 2, 2025
Independence Day road travel set to break records
Photo / Peter Van Allen
AAA predicts that a record number of cars will be on the road for the July 4th weekend.
Holiday travel is set to smash records this Independence Day, with 72.2 million people projected by AAA to travel at least 50 or more miles from home in the seven-day period through Sunday, July 6.
This year’s forecast is an increase of 1.7 million travelers compared to last year and 7 million more than in 2019. AAA’s Independence Day forecast includes two weekends to better reflect the flow of holiday travelers. Many travelers have piggybacked off of Friday's legal holiday to take the entire week off, or a good chunk of it.
“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.
“Following Memorial Day’s record forecast, AAA is seeing strong demand for road trips and air travel over Independence Day week," she 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.”
An added incentive to drive is relatively cheap gas, with prices at their lowest point in four years, averaging $3.14 a gallon (compared to $3.49 in 2021), according to GasBuddy.
“For motorists planning to hit the road for Independence Day, gas prices are expected to continue falling nearly coast to coast in the lead-up to July 4," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.
Going forward this summer, De Haan cautions that gas prices could be affected by tensions in the Middle East or a major U.S. hurricane.
By car
AAA projects 61.6 million people will travel by car, a 2.2% increase over last year, and the highest volume on record.
Last July 4th week, AAA responded to nearly 700,000 emergency roadside assistance calls for issues like dead batteries and flat tires, plus people locking themselves out of their car or running out of gas.
By air
The number of people traveling by air is also projected to soar to a new record. AAA expects 5.84 million travelers will fly to their destinations, up 1.4% from last year's record.
A roundtrip domestic flight is averaging $810, making it 4% more expensive than last year, AAA said.
Maine's two main airports expect to be busy.
"While we won't have specific 4th of July travel numbers until after the holiday, we are happy to report that our summer season appears to be strong so far and on par with last year and our projections," Aimee Thibodeau, marketing and business development manager at Bangor International Airport, told Mainebiz.
At the Portland International Jetport, Airport Director Paul Bradbury said he expects a "modest increase" over last year, with 1.4% more seats for sale this year for the seven-day period around Independence Day.
Total passenger volumes at the Jetport were up 23.8% in May compared to last year and are 13.6% higher so far this year, he noted.
Bus and train travel also up
Travel by other modes is expected to grow by 7.4% over last year. AAA projects 4.78 million people will travel by bus, train or cruise. The record was set in 2019, with 4.79 million taking one of the three modes of travel.
-Deputy Editor Renee Cordes contributed to this report.
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