Nearly 6 Million Texans Expected to Travel over July 4th Week

SAN ANGELO, TX - AAA Texas projects 5.6 million people in the Lone Star State will travel over this Independence Day holiday travel period, a 5.2% increase over last year.

Across the nation, AAA projects 70.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Independence Day holiday travel period. 

Because of the popularity of remote work and many choosing to take summer vacations during this holiday, for the first time AAA increased its travel forecast from five to nine days. The Independence Day holiday travel forecast is defined as the nine-day period from Saturday, June 29 to Sunday, July 7.

“We anticipate this July 4th week will be the busiest for this holiday ever,” said Galen Grillo, Vice President and General Manager of AAA Texas. “Travel is in high gear this summer with more people not only booking domestic trips, but AAA travel advisors are seeing more international and cruise bookings as many people are taking bucket list vacations.”

Top Destinations:

This July 4th week, travelers are cooling off in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska – and by the ocean. Seattle, Vancouver, and Anchorage are top destinations because of the popularity of Alaska cruises this time of year. Beaches in South Florida, Honolulu, Punta Cana, and Barcelona are in high demand. Historical sites in European cities like London, Rome, Dublin, Paris, and Athens are also popular.

In Texas, AAA Texas travel advisors say the top road trip destinations are Galveston, Corpus Christi, state parks, the San Antonio River Walk, Fredericksburg and the Texas Hill Country, as well as the large metropolitan areas of Houston, Dallas and Austin.

Gas Prices:

Gas prices are lower than last year when the Texas regular unleaded average was $3.14. Pump prices will likely continue going down leading up to Independence Day. At that point, they will likely level off and remain relatively stable until after Labor Day, similar to last year. An important caveat is hurricane season – underway now – which could affect gas prices should a storm negatively impact Gulf Coast oil production and refining centers. 

Related Article: Gas Prices Climb as Millions Prepare to Travel for Independence Day

Rental Car Demand:

AAA car rental partner Hertz says Dallas, Denver, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco are the cities displaying the highest rental demand during the holiday week. The busiest pick-up days are projected to be Friday, June 28, Saturday, June 29, and Wednesday, July 4.  

AAA Texas Offers Travel Tips this Memorial Day and Beyond:

• Inspect vehicle tires, battery, and fluid levels before a long road trip. Nationwide, AAA expects to rescue more than 799,000 stranded drivers at the roadside, including more than 41,000 in Texas.
• Pack food, water, an emergency kit, a first-aid kit, and a mobile phone charger in case you break down.
• Reserve airport parking ahead of time to save you time on departure day.
• Get to airports at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights.
• Sign up for TSA PreCheck or Clear to speed up the security process.
• Download your airline’s app and use FlightAware to track your aircraft the day of departure.
• Avoid checking a bag, if possible. Carry-on luggage allows you to be more flexible in the event of a delay or cancellation.
• Book summer travel now. High demand and reduced schedules will mean fewer options.
• Work with a trusted AAA Texas travel advisor who can save you money and assist in rebooking should you need to.
• Consider travel insurance to protect your investment.

Busy Roads:

AAA projects 60.6 million people will travel by car. INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, says the worst times to travel by car before and on July 4th are between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Drivers should hit the road in the morning, and travelers returning on Monday, July 8th should avoid rush hour traffic in the morning and afternoon.