Record-Breaking Holiday Travel Expected for Fourth of July

More than 30 million people are expected to pass through the nation's airports during the Fourth of July holiday weekend and TSA is warning people to be prepared for the chaos. Officials with the Transportation Security Administration are asking travelers to come to the airport early and be prepared for every step of the travel process. The busiest days to travel any week are Sunday and Monday, as well as Thursday and Friday--and this will be especially true in 2024 as July 4 lands on a Thursday. More than 32 million people are expected to fly between June 28 through July 8, which is a 5.4 percent increase over the same time period last year.

The peak travel day will be July 7 - at the end of the holiday weekend - when the agency expects to screen more than 3 million individuals at 434 airports. Twelve of the agency's top 15 busiest travel days nationally have occurred since mid-May. TSA says it will try to meet goal of having only 10-minute waits for its PreCheck lines and 30-minutes in standard airport security. 'We have been anticipating the arrival of the Fourth of July travel period and planning our security operations to ensure that we are prepared for the surge in travelers who will be coming to the airport,' TSA Federal Security Director for Colorado Douglas Cruz said. 'TSA will be on the job with security screening officers extending their shifts to ensure travelers have a smooth trip.' 'We are asking travelers to be good partners with TSA and ensure that they are prepared for the screening process.

Please don't bring prohibited items in your carry-on luggage and allow plenty of time for every step of the travel process.' Travelers should be reminded that fireworks are not allowed in carry-on or checked baggage. Passengers are also asked to have boarding passes ready along with their photo ID. At the Roanoke regional airport in Virginia, officials are warning people about the expected chaos to come with holiday travel. 'The check-in counters will be busier, the TSA screening, the parking lots, there's a lot going on,' Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport public relations officer Alexa Briehl told WDBJ. The airport in Louisville, Kentucky, expects a similar scene.

'We do expect it to be very busy,' Louisville airport spokeswoman Natalie Ciresi Chaudoin told WDBR. AAA is projecting that 70.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from their homes over the Independence holiday travel season, defined as a nine-day period, between June 29 and July 7. 'With summer vacations in full swing and the flexibility of remote work, more Americans are taking extended trips around Independence Day,' said Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel. 'We anticipate this July 4th week will be the busiest ever with an additional 5.7 million people traveling compared to 2019.' With record numbers of people expected to drive and fly during the week surrounding Independence Day, those traveling for the holiday should prepare for heavy traffic and delays. Nearly 71 million people are expected to travel between June 29 and July 7 around the Fourth of July, according to AAA estimates -- that's 5% more people than last year and 8% more than 2019.

The motor club predicts that 70.9 million people will travel 50 miles or more during that period -- 60.6 million are expected to travel by car, an increase of 2.8 million from the same period in 2023. The worst times to hit the road will be between 2 and 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Sunday, according to a transportation data analyst at INRIX. Based on the data they've collected, INRIX recommends that those traveling by car on July 3 and July 4 should try to leave home before noon, while road-trippers traveling on July 6 and July 7 should leave before 10 a.m. 'Drivers in large metro areas can expect the worst traffic delays on Wednesday, July 3rd, as they leave town, and Sunday, July 7th, as they return,' Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, told Newsweek.

If you can't leave first thing in the morning, experts recommend waiting until after the evening rush to travel. Following New Year's Day, Independence Day is among the most dangerous holidays for driving in the U.S., Omega Law told Newsweek. 'Holidays also often go hand-in-hand with breaks from school or work, which can mean more teenagers or young adults on the roads who may have less driving experience, leading to risky driving and accidents,' a spokesperson from the California-based injury law firm told the outlet. The firm's analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's traffic fatality analysis reporting system from 2017 to 2021 found South Dakota to be the most dangerous state for driving during the July 4 holiday.