More Will Travel For The 4th Of July This Year Than Ever Before: Report

Sometimes, it would seem it's impossible to fit any more cars on the road. Well, this Independence Day, AAA estimates that a record-breaking 44.2 million Americans will honor the red, white and blue and travel more than 50 miles from home. With 1.25 million more travelers than last year, 2017 will be the most traveled Fourth of July holiday weekend ever, according to an announcement from AAA.

And Bay Staters are going to be traveling by car, likely for the first time ever hitting an estimate of more than 1 million residents.

“Strong employment, combined with rising incomes and higher consumer confidence bode well for the travel industry,” said Mary Maguire, AAA northeast director of public and legislative affairs, in a statement. “This historic number of travelers will add to an already bustling summer travel season.” July 4th is on a Tuesday this year, making it a long weekend for many travelers.

By the Numbers, via AAA:

• Overall, 44.2 million travelers are expected to travel this Independence Day, a 2.9 percent increase over 2016.
• 37.5 million Americans will drive to their destinations, an increase of 2.9 percent over last year. That represents 85 percent of all holiday travelers.
• 3.44 million people are taking to the skies this Independence Day, increasing air travel by 4.6 percent over last year.
• 3.27 million travelers, an increase of 1.4 percent from 2016, will look to other modes of transportation, including cruises, trains and buses.

“Gasoline prices are close to what they were a year ago, and haven’t been this low for Independence Day since 2005,” Ms. Maguire added. “That’s extra money in the pockets of this year’s vacationers.”

With new attractions debuting at popular theme parks, Orlando claims the number one spot on the list of most-visited locales for 2017 summer travel, based on AAA Travel bookings. Here are the top ten destinations, per AAA:

1. Orlando, Florida 6. Honolulu, Hawaii
2. Vancouver, Canada 7. Anaheim, California
3. Cancun, Mexico 8. Anchorage, Alaska
4. Seattle, Washington 9. Las Vegas, Nevada
5. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 10. Montego Bay, Jamaica

Photo via Shutterstock