Worst Day, Time For 4th Of July Holiday Traffic: CA AAA

ACROSS CALIFORNIA — Independence Day celebrants in California are expected to join a record 70.9 million Americans who plan to travel 50 miles or more from home over the extended 4th of July holiday period, AAA projects.

For the first time, the travel group looked at the entire 4th of July week, bookended by the Saturday before the holiday and the Sunday after. Travel is expected to be 5 percent higher this year than last, and 8 percent higher than in 2019.

The 2024 Independence Day travel period is expected to be the busiest ever with 5.7 million more people traveling than in 2019, the last year before the pandemic, Paula Twidale, AAA Travel’s senior vice president, said in a news release.

The group projects a record 60.6 million people will travel by car during Independence Day week, 2.8 million more than last year. Air travel is also expected to set a new record, with 5.74 million people flying to their destinations, a 12 percent increase over 2019.

An estimated 8.76 million Californians are anticipated to join the ranks of travelers during the nine-day forecast period, reflecting a 5 percent increase from last year.

"Californians are opting to take longer trips with Independence Day falling on a Thursday," said Brian Ng, Senior Vice President of Membership and Travel Marketing for AAA Northern California. "This further fuels summer travel demand that is showing no signs of slowing down."

AAA anticipates nearly 800,000 roadside service calls nationwide for the holiday week, including 177,000 calls in California.

INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, says the worst times to travel by car before and on July 4 are between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Drivers should hit the road in the morning, and travelers returning on Monday, July 8 should avoid rush hour traffic in the morning and afternoon.

"Drivers in large metro areas can expect the worst traffic delays on Wednesday, July 3, as they leave town, and Sunday, July 7, as they return," said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX. "Road trips over the holiday week could take up to 67 percent longer than normal. Travelers should monitor 511 services, local news stations, and traffic apps for up-to-the-minute road conditions."

In particular, Fourth of July travelers should try to avoid the following peak congestion times on major highways in three California metros, according to AAA and INRIX:

• San Francisco to Monterey via Santa Cruz Highway south at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, July 2 when the tip is expected to take 2 hours and 31 minutes —19 percent longer than normal.
• San Diego to Palm Springs via Interstate 15 north at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 4, when the trip is expected to take 2 hours 55 minutes — 16 percent longer than normal.
• Bakersfield to Los Angeles via Interstate 5 south. The peak congestion time is 2:15 p.m. Monday, July 8, when the trip is expected to take 1 hour and 47 minutes —29 percent longer than normal.

Gas prices are lower than at this time last year when California's average was $4.83, but AAA of Northern California encourages motorists to stay informed because a potentially active hurricane season could impact costs. The statewide average last Monday was $4.80.

While the majority of Californians —79 percent — will hit the road, air travel has shown the most substantial growth across all modes of transportation, increasing 12.3 percent since 2019.

Domestic airfare is about 2 percent lower than last year, and the average price for a roundtrip ticket is $800. Airports are expected to be packed throughout the travel period. AAA recommends reserving airport parking ahead of time, getting there two hours early, and traveling only with carry-on luggage to save both time and money.

AAA car rental partner Hertz says Dallas, Denver, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and San Francisco are the cities displaying the highest rental demand during the holiday week. The busiest pick-up days were projected to be Friday, June 28, Saturday, June 29, and Wednesday, July 3.

This July 4, California has one of the top 10 domestic destinations below, based on AAA booking data:

1. Seattle, WA
2. Orlando, FL
3. Anchorage, AK
4. Honolulu, HI
5. Miami, FL
6. New York, NY
7. Fort Lauderdale, FL
8. Las Vegas, NV
9. Denver, CO
10. Anaheim/Los Angeles, CA

Happy Travels!