Record 4th Of July Travel Predicted: When To Get Out Of Town In MA

MASSACHUSETTS — Independence Day celebrants in Massachusetts are expected to join a record 70.9 million Americans who plan to travel 50 miles or more from home over the extended 4th of July holiday period, AAA projects.

For the first time, the travel group looked at the entire 4th of July week, bookended by the Saturday before the holiday and the Sunday after. Travel is expected to be 5 percent higher this year than last, and 8 percent higher than in 2019.

The 2024 Independence Day travel period is expected to be the busiest ever, with 5.7 million more people traveling than in 2019, the last year before the pandemic, Paula Twidale, AAA Travel’s senior vice president, said in a news release.

The group projects a record 60.6 million people will travel by car during Independence Day week, 2.8 million more than last year. Air travel is also expected to set a new record, with 5.74 million people flying to their destinations, a 12 percent increase over 2019.

If you run into any issues while driving in Massachusetts during the holiday, there are 34 AAA locations sprinkled across the state.

Fourth of July travelers whose route takes them through Boston should avoid peak congestion times on major highways, according to transportation data provider Inrix.

If you're taking Pilgrims Highway South (Route 3) from Boston to Hyannis, the peak congestion period will be Thursday, July 4, at 1:45 p.m. The estimated travel time at peak congestion will be 1 hour and 51 minutes, an increase of 31 percent over typical traffic.

Gas prices are lower than at this time last year, when the Massachusetts average was $3.54, and AAA expects them to continue to go down leading into Independence Day. The statewide average on June 25 was $3.44.

Domestic airfare is about 2 percent lower than last year, and the average price for a roundtrip ticket is $800. Airports are expected to be packed throughout the travel period. AAA recommends reserving airport parking ahead of time, getting there two hours early, and traveling only with carry-on luggage to save both time and money.

Apart from vacation travel, thousands of people will travel to downtown Boston on July 4 for the Boston Pops concert and fireworks.

Here are the worst and best times to travel by car (all times local), according to Inrix:

• Tuesday, July 2: 2-6 p.m. (worst time); after 7 pm. (best time)
• Wednesday, July 3: 2-7 p.m. (worst time); before noon (best time)
• Thursday, July 4: 2-7 p.m. (worst time); before noon (best time)
• Friday, July 5: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (worst time); before 10 a.m. (best time)
• Saturday, July 6: 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (worst time); before 10 a.m. (best time)
• Sunday, July 7: 2-8 p.m. (worst time); before 11 a.m. (best time)
• Monday, July 8: 1-5 p.m. (worst time); after 7 p.m. (best time)