Do you have travel plans for the Fourth of July? If so, prepare to face record-breaking holiday crowds. An estimated 5.6 million people will travel throughout the Lone Star State for the July Fourth holiday period, a 5.2% increase over last year, according to a June 19 report from AAA Texas. Nationwide, more than 70 million travelers are expected to head 50 miles or more from home for the summer holiday.
Texas State Parks shares safety tips after heat-related illnesses rise For the first time, AAA decided to increase its travel forecast from five to nine days because of the popularity of remote work and the predicted number of summer vacationers. Its Independence Day travel forecast for 2024 covers the nine days from June 29 to July 7. In Texas, 4.8 million people are expected to travel by automobile, an increase of 5% since last year, while 555,000 will travel by airplane, an increase of 6.9%.
Poll: A majority of Texans are worried about widespread electrical grid failure Around 60 million people will be driving across the country for holiday travel, the report said. a provider of transportation data, says the worst time to travel by car before and on July 4th will be between 2 and 7 p.m. Travelers returning on July 8th should avoid rush hour traffic in the morning and afternoon. Traffic might be tough but, on the plus side, gas prices are lower than last year when the Texas regular unleaded average was $3.14, the report said. Gas prices are expected to continue decreasing leading up to Independence Day.