Travelers are hitting the road for the Fourth of July, despite high gasoline prices. | Shutterstock
Travelers are hitting the road for the Fourth of July, despite high gasoline prices.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) projects 72.2 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home between June 27 and July 5. While this year’s travel forecast surpasses last year’s record of 71.8 million travelers, the increase is smaller than recent year-over-year gains, AAA said Wednesday in a news release.
Of those 72.2 million travelers, AAA said about 61.4 million will travel by car, 5.9 million will take domestic flights and 4.9 million will take buses, trains and cruises.
The number of drivers was about the same last year, despite gas prices reaching four-year highs, AAA said. Last year, the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.15. This year, prices are higher. The national average price for a gallon of gasoline was about $3.93 as of Monday.
It’s an improvement, though, from prices leading up to Memorial Day weekend, when the average gasoline price in the U.S. was $4.47 per gallon, according to GasBuddy data at the time. On June 15, GasBuddy, owned by Alpharetta, Georgia-based PDI, reported that the average price of gasoline in the United States dropped below $4 for the first time since mid-April amid peace talks between the U.S. and Iran.
Despite higher gasoline prices, filling up the tank during a road trip is still cheaper than purchasing flights for many travelers, AAA said.
The second weekend of the holiday period will be the busiest on the roads, starting July 2, AAA said, citing transportation data provider Inrix. Peak congestion in certain metros like Boston, Los Angeles and Philadelphia is expected June 27.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.
