Are you planning a road trip this Independence Day holiday weekend? You won’t be alone: millions will also hit the highways to celebrate independence day!
As TravelPulse reported recently, according to AAA a record number of Americans traveling by car is set to set this year – 43.2 million will use car for transportation compared to 42 million from last year and four percent more than 2019. TravelPulse recently covered this story of record setting numbers expected this year!
Increased road trippers could be due in part to reduced gas prices compared with what they were last year.
While all forms of transportation will likely be in demand on July 4th holiday weekend, car travelers outnumber every other option by far. An estimated 85.2 percent will use driving as their mode of travel compared to only 8.2 percent using air transportation options and 6.66 using “other” options (like public transit or biking).
All this means if you plan on hitting the road over Christmas break, be strategic about planning and organizing your trip carefully.
INRIX, working closely with AAA on holiday travel forecasting projections, predicts roads may experience the busiest holiday travel day on Friday with average travel times almost 30 percent longer than normal compared to usual. Furthermore, major metropolitan areas like Washington D.C., Boston and Seattle will experience worse traffic.
“With record numbers of travelers expected on the road this holiday weekend, drivers should anticipate longer than normal delays to their desired locations,” according to Bob Pishue of INRIX’s Transportation Analysis team in a statement.
Sunday and Monday are expected to witness lower traffic volumes, according to INRIX.
Continue reading for an in-depth examination of when to travel over the holiday period, both to avoid and make trips more manageable.
Holiday Driving Guide
Best Times to Drive on June 29 and June 30: Before noon. On Friday June 30, before 10 am or after 6pm is ideal as are before noon starts or 6 p.m finishes for driving around town on Saturday July 1 and Tuesday 4 July 4: Before 11 am or after 6 p.m and Wednesday July 5 before 2 p.m are ideal driving times as these dates fall on weekends for most.
Worst times to drive: [Throwback Thursday and Friday of June 29 and 30], 4-6pm and between 10a.m. and 5p.m, respectively (between June 29-30); Friday June 30 [10am to 5 pm], Saturday July 1 [1 p.m], Tuesday July 4 between noon to 3 pm [and 3 to 6 p.m], Wednesday July 5 […] (between 3 and 6 p.m].
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