Travel is expected to pick up this 4th of July. AAA expects 43 million people to travel by car despite the gas prices soaring. The national average is currently at $3.10 per gallon, this is the highest since October 2014. The heaviest traffic is expected by Friday. AAA expects the 4th of July 2021 to be the second busiest Independence Day in history based on travel volume. The busiest year was 2019. And from last year, a 40% jump is expected for Independence Day 2021.
This isn’t just for roads. The same can be said for airports. Travel website Hopper predicts some of the busiest airports and travel days this 4th of July weekend. This can help you plan your trip in case you want less crowded airports or just have a less stressful travel experience.
Hopper predicts July 2 to be the busiest day for the 4th of July weekend 2021. 3.33 million departing seats are expected. That will be 50,000 more than the number of departing seats on Thursday, July 1. And for those who are going to return home, Monday, July 5 is going to be the busiest time at the airport. There will be 3.34 million seats booked by that time.
Busy Cities This 4th of July
Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport is expected to be the busiest airport on Independence Day. It has 100,000 more departing seats compared to Los Angeles International Airport and Forth Worth International Airport.
If you’re coming from O’Hare International Airport, Friday night will be the busiest day. Between 7-8 pm alone, the airport will have 21,000 departing seats at that particular time of the day.
Busy Cities
So where are Americans going this 4th of July? Las Vegas is the number one go-to destination for this year’s Independence Day. Miami and Orlando rank second and third next to Las Vegas as a favorite domestic getaway this 4th of July. For Americans looking to travel abroad, Cancun, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Mexico City are top destinations according to Hopper.
