GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – AAA is projecting those traveling for the July 4th holiday next week will set national and state travel records.
AAA says it’s expecting more than 70.9 million people around the U.S. to travel 50 miles or more away from home; the automotive organization says 2.2 million of those people will be North Carolinians.
Vice President of Travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group Debbie Haas says the summer season is off to a hot start.
“There will be 3.5 million more travelers than last year. That means even more people at airports and popular attractions like beaches, lakes, and theme parks,” says Haas.
AAA is predicting that 60.9 people will hit the roads in a car over the holiday week. Officials say they is an additional 2.8 million travelers compared to last year.
Nationally, the auto group says it’s projecting 5.74 million people will fly to their Independence Day destinations, which is up 7% compared to 2023. As for North Carolina specifically, 156,988 people are expected to fly. Analysts say its prediction is up 6% from 2023 and 22% from 2022.
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 8th should avoid rush hour traffic in the morning and afternoon.
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