Passengers go through a security checkpoint at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Ill., on May 7, 2025. Scott Olson/Getty Images
Nearly 72 million people are expected to travel during the Fourth of July holiday, likely leading to crowded highway traffic and congested airports across the United States. However, holiday travelers should also see lower gas prices and airfares as they go to their Independence Day destinations, experts say.
Nationally, AAA Travel, the travel‐services arm of the American Automobile Association, forecasts that 72.2 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home during the Independence Day holiday period from June 28 to July 6. This year’s domestic travel projection is 1.7 million more travelers than last year and 7 million more than in 2019.
