Buckle up: Your Fourth of July road trip may be a long ride—at least according to AAA, which expects 70.9 million people to travel 50 miles or more from home over the Independence Day holiday travel period.
This year, AAA's traffic forecast is a little different, because the organization is defining the "Independence Day holiday travel period" as Saturday, June 29 to Sunday, July 7—making it the first year to include two weekends.
“With summer vacations in full swing and the flexibility of remote work, more Americans are taking extended trips around Independence Day,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a news release. “We anticipate this July 4th week will be the busiest ever with an additional 5.7 million people traveling compared to 2019.”
To avoid getting stuck in all that traffic, plan your trip around the best and worst times to drive during the Fourth of July travel period. Here's what to know.
The best and worst times to drive Fourth of July weekend
Using data from INRIX, a firm providing transportation insights, experts at AAA have determined that these are the best and worst times to hit the road this Fourth of July weekend:
Monday, July 1
Minimal traffic impact expected
Tuesday, July 2
Worst time: 2—6 p.m.
Best time: After 7 p.m.
Wednesday, July 3
Worst time: 2—7 p.m.
Best time: Before noon
Thursday, July 4
Worst time: 2—7 p.m.
Best time: Before noon
Friday, July 5
Worst time: 11 a.m.—4 p.m.
Best time: Before 10 a.m.
Saturday, July 6
Worst time: 10 a.m.—2:30 p.m.
Best time: Before 10 a.m.
Sunday, July 7
Worst time: 2—8 p.m.
Best time: Before 11 a.m.
Monday, July 8
Worst time: 1—5 p.m.
Best time: After 7 p.m.
“Drivers in large metro areas can expect the worst traffic delays on Wednesday, July 3rd, as they leave town, and Sunday, July 7th, as they return,” Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX said in a news release. “Road trips over the holiday week could take up to 67% longer than normal. Travelers should monitor 511 services, local news stations, and traffic apps for up-to-the-minute road conditions.”
AAA also has advice for avoiding peak congestion in a handful of U.S. metropolitan areas.