For many Americans, 4th of July travel plans represent the quintessential summer vacation, one filled with beaches, barbecue, and priceless moments with family and friends. But before you can make it to the fireworks and good times, you have to survive the slog of traffic, crowds, and general chaos that comes along with peak travel.
This year, the 4th of July travel forecast is set to be particularly hectic. A record-breaking 72.2 million people are expected to travel over the Independence Day period stretching from Saturday, June 28, to Sunday, July 6, according to estimates from AAA. That’s a 2.4% jump from last year. “Following Memorial Day’s record forecast, AAA is seeing strong demand for road trips and air travel over Independence Day week,” Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in a release. “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.”
That means travelers should expect record-level congestion on highways and crowds inside airport terminals: the TSA projects it will screen 18.5 million people from Tuesday, July 1, through Monday, July 7. Here’s how to avoid traffic and crowds this July 4, whether you’re traveling by car, plane, train, or cruise ship.
Road trips
The vast majority of travelers this Independence Day will be heading out on a road trip. AAA predicts that a whopping 61.6 million people will travel by car over the holiday period—an additional 1.3 million road travelers compared to 2024, and the highest volume the agency has ever recorded.
With those unprecedented numbers, timing your departure times strategically has never been more important. The busiest days on the road will be Wednesday, July 2, and Sunday, July 6, according to transportation insights firm Inrix. In general, afternoon hours will be the most congested, so travelers should aim to depart in the early morning.
Inrix and AAA have also identified the peak congestion times over the holiday for 16 major metro areas across the country, including: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, and Washington, DC. If you plan to drive to or from one of these cities, it would be well worth it to consult the list of predicted worst congestion times. For example, the worst time to leave Atlanta is Sunday, June 29, at 12:15 p.m., while drivers departing Chicago can expect the most traffic on Wednesday, July 2, at 6 p.m.
For drivers who plan to rent their vehicles, rental car company Hertz says that the busiest pickup day will be July 3, with the highest number of rentals booked in Orlando, Denver, Boston, Oahu, and Seattle. If you’re getting a car from one of those cities, check to see if your rental company offers an express pick-up option. These expedited reservations usually allow travelers who have free loyalty memberships with the car company to skip the line or be processed through an express lane. Hertz, for instance, advises passengers to make a free account with its Gold Plus Rewards program and link it with a free account from Clear to access its Fast Lane, which allows drivers to exit the rental lot in seconds.
Air travel
As with road trips, the number of people planning to travel by plane over July 4 is poised to set a new record. AAA says that 5.84 million travelers will fly to their Independence Day vacation spots in 2025, a 1.4% increase compared to 2024.