According to an analysis by AAA, the not-for-profit auto club, travel over the Independence Day holiday weekend will increase 40% compared to last year.
AAA expects over 47 million Americans to travel between July 1 through July 5.
In Massachusetts, AAA expects 1.3 million to travel over the holiday weekend, up from 964,000 in 2020.
Of Massachusetts 1.3 million expected travellers, AAA expects 1.2 million to drive. The analysis expects congestion to peak on Friday, with travellers and commute traffic combining on roadways heading into the weekend.
Demand for all modes of travel is increasing across the country, but driving is dominating summer travel despite a 7 year high in gas prices. Estimates suggest over 90% of holiday travel by car. That equates to 43.6 million Americans travelling by car, a 5% increase over the previous high set in 2019.
Another 3.5 million are expected to travel by air, 90% of pre-pandemic levels. Over 620,000 Americans well travel by bus, train, cruise or other methods.
The top Independence Day Travel Destinations are:
- Orlando, FL
- Anaheim, CA
- Denver, CO
- Las Vegas, NV
- Seattle, WA
- Chicago, IL
- New York, NY
- Atlanta, GA
- Boston, MA
- Kahului, Maui, HI
