With Fourth of July celebrations underway, millions expected to travel

by: Kaelee Collins

Posted: Jul 2, 2023 / 06:58 PM EDT

Updated: Jul 3, 2023 / 04:55 AM EDT

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – July Fourth holiday celebrations are commencing across the country and millions of Americans are heading out for those festivities.

But, what are the travel impacts, and what are the best and worst times to head out?

AAA has projected that 50.7 million Americans would travel at least 50 miles over Independence Day weekend. The level of traffic is expected to surpass records made last year with domestic travel increasing by 2.1 million people. This year’s projection surpasses the previous July 4th weekend record set in 2019 of 49 million travelers. And, air travel levels were also expected to break records this year.

This past Friday, TSA said a new record was reached on the number of people going through checkpoints, with more than four million people expected to fly in total over the holiday weekend. Friday was predicted to be the busiest travel day of the holiday weekend and though the impact to traffic on Sunday and Monday has been listed as minimal, the actual July fourth holiday will bring busy roads and skies!

The best time to travel on Tuesday will be before 11:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m. It’s suggested to avoid traveling between 12 and 3 p.m. Once the festivities have died down and you find yourself heading home from holiday celebrations on Wednesday, your best bet is to hit the road before 2:00 p.m.

Travel experts always recommend using ‘real-time’ tracking tools to plan out your trip in advance. More helpful travel tips can be found here.