On June 20, AAA projected a whopping 72.2 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles or more from home over the 2025 Independence Day weekend, June 28–July 6. This travel forecast shows an increase of 1.7 million travelers compared to 2023, and 7 million more from 2019.

AAA also predicts 61.6 million of those 72.2 million Americans will travel by car this year, a 2.2 percent increase from last year and the highest volume on record. This means a higher chance of incidents on the road. On July 4 weekend in 2024, AAA responded to almost 700,000 emergency roadside assistance calls.

For travelers hitting the road this year with a rental car, AAA and its car rental partner Hertz recommend avoiding getting a car July 3, slated to be the busiest day of the period to pick up vehicles.

INRIX advises Americans traveling by car avoid driving July 2–6, with afternoon hours set to see the most congestion on highways. Driving in early morning is preferred.

“Summertime is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year, and July 4th is one of the most popular times to get away,” said Stacey Barber, VP, AAA Travel. “Following Memorial Day’s record forecast, AAA is seeing strong demand for road trips and air travel over Independence Day week. With the holiday falling on a Friday, travelers have the option of making it a long weekend or taking the entire week to make memories with family and friends.”

As for domestic air travel, AAA expects 5.84 million travelers to fly during this time period, accounting for 8 percent of all Independence Day travelers and marking a projected 1.4 percent increase over the previous record set last Independence Day week. A round-trip domestic flight in 2025 for Independence Day week is also slated to be 4 percent more expensive than in 2024.

Travel by other modes is expected to grow by 7.2 percent over last year. This includes travel by train, cruise or bus, with Alaska cruise season in full swing this month.

What are the top 10 domestic destinations Americans will head to this Independence Day week? AAA names Orlando, Florida, as top location, followed by Seattle, Washington; New York City, New York; Anchorage, Alaska; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Honolulu, Hawai’i; Denver, Colorado; Miami, Florida; Boston, Massachusetts; and Atlanta, Georgia.

Americans also travel internationally, with Vancouver, Canada, the top international destination. Other popular locations for Americans this Independence Day week include Rome, Italy; Paris, France; London, England; Barcelona, Spain; Dublin, Ireland; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Calgary, Canada; Athens, Greece; and Lisbon Portugal.

Are you traveling this July 4 weekend? How are you traveling? Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.