WASHINGTON, D. C. (Thursday, June 28, 2018) –– Like fireworks streaking into the sky, a record-breaking number of Washington area residents will travel 50 miles or more away from home this Fourth of July. More than one million Washington, D.C. metro area travelers will set a new travel record for the Independence Day holiday weekend. Those traveling during the holiday period comprise 19 percent of the Washington metro area’s population of 6,216,589.

The Fourth of July falls midweek this year, many will treat it like it is a six-day holiday weekend.  Given the magnitude of Washingtonians traveling this Fourth of July, holiday getaway traffic will be at its worse during the afternoon rush hour Tuesday, July 3, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., notes AAA Mid-Atlantic. Two out of every ten Washingtonians will join their counterparts across the nation will traveling in the highest volumes ever for the 4^th of July since AAA began tracking holiday travel trends 18 year ago.

In total, a record-breaking 1,162,100 people in the metro area are expected to travel 50 miles or more away from home, an increase of 5.5 percent compared to last year. Over one million, 1,009,700 are expected to travel by automobile, 87,400 by air and 65,000 by train, bus or cruise ship.

“A grand total of 3.4 million persons from the Washington, D.C. metro area, Maryland and Virginia will travel for the Fourth of July. Of that number, 2.9 million persons from the three areas will travel by automobile to their Fourth of July holiday destinations,” said John B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Manager of Public and Government Affairs. “For perspective, travel volume will be 69 percent higher this Fourth of July than the 2009 recession low of 686,000 travelers, a difference of 476,000 people.”  

2018 AAA Mid-Atlantic July Fourth Travel Projections

Nationally, a record-breaking 46.9 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home this Independence Day holiday, an increase of more than 5 percent compared with last year and the highest number since AAA began tracking 18 years ago. For the 39.7 million Americans planning a Fourth of July road trip, INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, predicts travel times in the most congested cities in the U.S. could be twice as long as the normal trip, with Tuesday being the busiest day.

In addition to strong economic variables, the expected increase in travelers this year is helped by Independence Day falling on a Wednesday, giving travelers more flexibility to schedule a trip the weekend before or after the holiday. The 4^th of July holiday period is defined as Tuesday, July 3 to Sunday, July 8.

By the Numbers: 2018 Independence Day Holiday Travel Forecast

·         Automobiles: The vast majority of travelers – 39.7 million – will hit the road this Independence Day, 5.1 percent more than last year.

·         Planes: A record-breaking 3.8 million people will travel by air, a 7.9 percent increase and the ninth year of consecutive air travel volume increases.

·         Trains, Buses and Cruise Ships: Travel across these sectors will increase by 5.8 percent to a total of 3.5 million passengers.

Drivers Beware: Terrible Tuesday

For the 1,009,700 people in the Washington, D.C. metro area traveling by automobile, INRIX, in collaboration with AAA, predicts drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion on Tuesday, July 3, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., in the late afternoon as commuters leave work early and mix with holiday travelers.

Some roads will be particularly more delayed than others. Travelers on the Capital Beltway (clockwise) driving on July 2 at 11:30 a.m. will face delays of nearly quadruple the normal trip, which means a trip that would normally take 10 minutes would equate to 51 minutes, a delay of 41 additional minutes.  

“With a record-level number of travelers hitting the road this holiday, drivers must be prepared for delays around major metros,” says Scott Sedlik, general manager and vice president - public sector, INRIX. “Although travel times are expected to nominally increase throughout the week, Tuesday afternoon will, hands down, be the worst time to be on the road. Our advice to drivers is to avoid peak commuting hours altogether or consider alternative routes.”

Gas Prices Starting to Stabilize Heading into Independence Day
            Gas prices have slowly but steadily started to fall since the 2018 high of $2.97 set over Memorial Day weekend. Since then, the national gas price has dropped five cents to $2.85 (as of June 27), which is 60 cents more than one year ago. The 2018 high for gas prices on May 28 was $3.11 in Washington, D.C. and $2.95 in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Since then, the gas price in Washington, D.C. has dropped 13 cents and has dropped 15 cents in the Washington, D.C. metro area. In Washington, D.C. proper, gas prices were $2.98 (as of June 27), which is 53 cents more than last year. In the Washington, D.C. metro area gas prices were $2.80 (as of June 27), which is 56 cents more than last year. However, the higher prices are having little effect on travelers this Independence Day, as a record number of travelers plans to hit the road this year.

Travelers Paying Less for Airfare, More for Car Rentals and Hotels

Travelers to Washington, D.C. can expect to pay less to stay in a hotel, but more to rent a car. The average nightly rate at AAA Three Diamond hotels is $131, 44 percent less than last year. AAA Two Diamond hotels will average $122, a 20 percent decrease year-over-year. The average daily cost of a car rental is $60, a nine percent increase over last year.

Of the top 40 U.S. routes departing from Washington, D.C., 2018 rates have decreased nine percent from Washington, D.C. to Las Vegas costing $227. Rates from Atlanta to Washington, D.C. cost $207 (up 78 percent), New York to Washington, D.C. costing $99 (down by 30 percent) and from St. Louis to Washington, D.C. costing $288 (up by five percent). Rates from Boston to Washington, D.C. are down 21 percent, costing $120.

Nationwide, however, travelers can expect to pay more to rent a car and stay at mid-range hotels this Independence Day. At $66, the average daily cost of a car rental is a slight increase of two percent over last year. The average nightly rate at AAA Two Diamond hotels is $147, 11 percent more than last year, while AAA Three Diamond hotels will average $187, a two percent year-over-year increase. Nationally, according to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, travelers taking to the skies will pay an average $171 for a round-trip flight along the top 40 domestic routes. That is the lowest Independence Day airfare in five years, and nine percent less than last year.

AAA Mid-Atlantic expects to rescue more than 33,000 motorists
            AAA Mid-Atlantic expects to rescue more than 33,000 motorists during the Independence Day holiday travel period, with the primary reasons being towing, dead batteries, lockouts and flat tires. AAA came to the rescue of 1,160 motorists in Washington, D.C., 8,910 in Maryland and 6,320 in Virginia during the 2017 holiday travel period and the day following Independence Day. Nationally, AAA expects to rescue more than 362,000 motorists at the roadside around the Independence Day holiday. AAA recommends motorists have their vehicles inspected by a trusted repair shop, such as one of the more than 7,000 AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities across North America or the more than 37 AAA Car Care Centers throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Oil changes, fluid level checks, battery tests and tire inspections go a long way toward reducing the chances of a breakdown.

Download the AAA Mobile App Before Independence Day
            Before heading out on a trip for Independence Day, download the free AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Travelers can use the app to map a route, find the lowest gas prices, access exclusive member discounts, make travel arrangements, request AAA roadside assistance, find AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities and more. Learn more at AAA.com/mobile. With the AAA Mobile app, travelers can also find nearly 59,000 AAA Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants. AAA’s is the only rating system that uses full-time, professionally trained inspectors to evaluate each property on an annual basis.

AAA’s projections are based on economic forecasting and research by IHS Markit. The London-based business information provider teamed with AAA in 2009 to jointly analyze travel trends during major holidays. AAA has been reporting on holiday travel trends for more than two decades. The complete AAA/IHS Markit 2018 Independence Day holiday travel forecast is available here.

About INRIX:
               INRIX is the global leader in connected car services and transportation analytics. Leveraging big data and the cloud, INRIX delivers comprehensive services and solutions to help move people, cities and businesses forward. Our partners are automakers, governments, mobile operators, developers, advertisers, as well as enterprises large and small. Learn more at INRIX.com.

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AAA provides automotive, travel and insurance services to 57 million members nationwide and nearly 78,000 members in the District of Columbia.  AAA advocates for the safety and mobility of its members and has been committed to outstanding road service for more than 100 years.  The not-for-profit, fully tax-paying member organization works on behalf of motorists, who can now map a route, find local gas prices, discover discounts, book a hotel and track their roadside assistance service with the AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android. For more information, visit  https://aaa.com