The American Automobile Association (AAA) is projecting 72.2 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles (80.5km) from home over the Independence Day period, between Saturday, 27 June and Sunday, 5 July, 2026.
The figure beats last year’s record of 71.8 million on the move, but by an increase that is smaller than recent year-on-year gains. The number of people driving and flying to their destinations is relatively flat compared to last year, while travel by other modes, including cruises, is the category seeing the biggest increase.
No matter how many days they spend on vacation, AAA says that going away during this time is customary. “For many Americans, traveling the week of the 4th of July is tradition,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel, adding: “The 9-day travel forecast includes travelers who are vacationing all week and people just getting away for the long holiday weekend. While the overall number of Independence Day travelers appears to be plateauing, we’re still expecting record volumes this year.”
If you’re flying somewhere this weekend, it’s going to be busy at airports across the country. TSA Officers are working hard to keep skies safe. Harassment, threats, or physical violence will not be tolerated. pic.twitter.com/koUbzgXH03
— TSA (@TSA) July 1, 2026
By car
The association is predicting 61.4 million people making Independence Day car journeys, nearly the same number as last year when 61.3 million took road trips on the America’s 6.6 million kilometres of tarmac. This means 85% of all those travelling for Independence Day are expected to drive to their destinations, despite fuel prices reaching four-year highs. Last year, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.15. This year, prices are higher but remain lower than in 2022, when the national average was $4.80 on Independence Day. AAA points out, nonetheless, how cheap car travel is. “Regardless of those higher fuel prices, filling up the tank during a road trip is still cheaper than purchasing flights” the association said in a statement, “especially for families with kids.”
Meanwhile, AAA car rental partner Hertz expects Thursday, 2 July, to be the busiest pickup day, with Orlando, Denver, Boston, Los Angeles, and New York City experiencing the highest demand based on advanced bookings. According to AAA booking data, domestic car rentals are 10% more expensive compared to 2025.
By air
AAA projects 5.85 million 4th of July week flyers, an annual increase of 0.2%. Air passengers represent eight percent of all trips. Based on what consumers paid when booking, round-trip domestic flights to top destinations like Chicago and Denver are 5% more expensive than in 2025. Domestic flights overall are averaging about $830 (around €729) a ticket.
Meanwhile, airline data has American Airlines preparing for record numbers of flyers between Thursday, 25 June and Monday, 6 July, with 8.1 million passengers booked on over 80,000 flights, a 10% increase since last year.
United Airlines is set for six million passengers over the holiday period (from Friday, 26 June to Monday, 6 July 2026). The airline has reported an increase in bookings for Philadelphia and Boston.
Alaska Airlines has 6,283 flights scheduled for the main holiday weekend (Friday, 3 July to Monday, 6 July), 2.5% more than last year. Friday and Monday are predicted to be its busiest days.
| Ranking | Domestic | International |
| 1 | Seattle, WA | Vancouver, Canada |
| 2 | Orlando, FL | Rome, Italy |
| 3 | Anchorage, AK | Dublin, Ireland |
| 4 | Miami, FL | Paris, France |
| 5 | New York, NY | London, England |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | Calgary, Canada |
| 7 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Reykjavik, Iceland |
| 8 | Fairbanks, AK | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| 9 | Denver, CO | Athens, Greece |
| 10 | Boston, MA | Barcelona, Spain |
Other modes
Nearly five million (4.93m) Americans will take buses, trains, and cruises over Independence Day week, a 5.3% increase from last year. That number surpasses 2019’s 4.79 million journeys by other modes, due mostly, AAA says, to the “post-COVID cruising boom,” attributing the popularity of cruises to the predictability of their upfront, all-inclusive costs and wide-ranging destinations.
Destinations
AAA members are “heading to major U.S. cities over the 4th of July week and flying internationally to Canada and Europe,” the association says. For cruises, Alaska is at peak season, meaning Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Seattle are top destinations.
Independence Day fireworks and festivities in New York, Chicago, and Boston also tend to draw big crowds. Florida’s theme parks, beaches, and cruise ports are reeling consumers in, and internationally, Vancouver is number one, followed by major European cities like Rome, Dublin, Paris, and London.
