Fireworks explode over the Empire State Building and the Manhattan skyline for the annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular for Independence Day. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
June 29 (UPI) — This year’s Fourth of July travel period is on track to be the busiest and the hottest yet.
The projected number of travelers for the Saturday before and Sunday after Independence Day on Thursday is a 5% increase from 2023 and 8% up from 2019, according to AAA.
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Altogether, AAA predicted nearly 71 million people will travel 50 miles or more for the Fourth, over 60 million of which will travel by car, a nearly 5% increase from last year.
With summer vacations in full swing and the flexibility of remote work, more Americans are taking extended trips around Independence Day,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement. “We anticipate this July 4 week will be the busiest ever with an additional 5.7 million people traveling compared to 2019.”
Gas prices also are lower than last year when the national average was $3.53 per gallon and are expected to keep shrinking up to Independence Day, according to AAA.
AAA car rental partner Hertz said Dallas, Denver, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and San Francisco will likely experience the highest demand for rentals during the Fourth of July Week, with the busiest day being Wednesday.
Air travel is expected to be even busier, with the Transportation Security Administration predicting more than 32 million travelers from Thursday through July 8, a more than 5% increase from last Fourth.
The TSA said it broke the record for most people screened in a single day last Sunday with almost 3 million.
“We expect this summer to be our busiest ever and summer travel usually peaks over the Independence Day holiday,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement. “Compared to last year, we have cut our attrition rates by almost half and increased our recruiting as a result of the TSA Compensation Plan that was funded in the budget passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden.
“The traveling public is on the move, which is a sign of a healthy economy. We are ready, along with our airline and airport partners, to handle this boost in passenger volumes.”
This travel season will be exceptionally hot for many across the United States with temperatures likely to run five to 10 degrees above the historic average, according to AccuWeather.
Atlanta is expected to feel temperatures in the mid-90s, while New York City could get just below that.
Texas and other parts of the South will likely break 100 degrees over the holiday weekend.
Farther west, San Francisco, Sacramento and Salt Lake City also can expect triple-digit temperatures. Residents are urged to be careful with grills, open flames and fireworks to avoid starting wildfires.
Most of the country can expect clear skies, but people in Chicago; Detroit; St. Louis; Des Moines, Iowa; and Kansas City, Mo., might have some scattered showers and thunderstorms interfere with their fireworks.