Breaking Down Independence Day Holiday Travel Trends

by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 7:00 AM ET, Fri June 20, 2025

The domestic Independence Day travel period is expected to be strong, with an estimated 72.2 million people traveling at least 50 miles away from their homes, according to new data released by AAA.

The travel period, which begins on Saturday, June 28 and ends on Sunday, July 6, will see an increase of about 1.7 million domestic travelers compared to 2024, representing a 7 million increase from 2019.

“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, Vice President of 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.”

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

TAAA predicts that most people will travel by car during this period, with around 61.6 million people taking to the roads. It’s a 2.2 percent increase from last year, about 1.3 million more than in 2024.

With summer gas prices hitting the lowest levels since 2021, drivers are saving around 40 cents per gallon compared to last year, which makes traveling by road even more attractive.

Yet air travel is also expected to reach a new record: 5.84 million Americans will take to the skies throughout the holiday travel period, a 1.4 percent increase from last year’s total, which also set a new record.

Roundtrip domestic flights cost an average of $810 during the holiday period, which is 4 percent above last year’s costs.

Travelers are also taking to buses, trains or ships more than last year, with these modes growing 7.4 percent in popularity over last year. Around 4.78 million will take summer cruises or get to their destinations by rail or bus, though this number has yet to reach pre-pandemic levels.

Most Popular Destinations This Independence Day

Domestic travelers are again heading to popular destinations like Orlando, New York City and, because of the popular summer cruising season, Anchorage. The ranked list of the top ten domestic travel destinations for Independence Day is listed below:

Orlando, Florida
Seattle, Washington
New York City, New York
Anchorage, Alaska
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Honolulu, Hawaii
Denver, Colorado
Miami, Florida
Boston, Massachusetts
Atlanta, Georgia

Some Americans will also visit other countries as the world heats up and more families take summer vacations while children and adult students are out of class. European destinations dominate this list, as the summer travel season is the most popular season to visit Europe.