Persistent inflation and other economic headwinds are not keeping Americans at home this Fourth of July. AAA is projecting a record number of Americans taking to the roads and skies over the Independence Day period, which began on June 29 and runs through July 8. In all, 70.9 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home, including 5.6 million Texans. Both of those numbers are all-time highs for Independence Day travel. "The overall travel volume for this year is about five percent higher than last year, and the numbers are higher than what we saw pre-pandemic," says Doug Shupe, spokesman for AAA Texas.
Not only are more Americans traveling, but they're doing it by all modes. "The vast majority of travelers will be going by automobile," says Shupe. "About 4.8 million Texans are taking road trips, about 500,000 will fly somewhere, and about 200,000 will take another mode of transportation."
Air travelers didn't even wait until the holiday to start their getaways. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) saw its busiest day of airport screenings back on June 23. For those hitting the roads, there is a little relief at the gas pump. The average price in Houston for regular unleaded is just over $3 a gallon, about 13 cents less than a year ago.
Overall, whether going by road or sky, travelers should plan ahead and expect plenty of company over the holiday weekend. And if you're planning a trip later this year, Shupe recommends booking as early as possible. "If this holiday travel forecast is any indication of what's to come, we are expecting lots of travel and potentially records broken for the rest of the year," he tells KTRH.
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