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AAA Mid-Atlantic: 48.9 Million to Travel this Independence Day; 5.9 Million MORE than Memorial Day
Approximately 1.4 Million New Jerseyans using long holiday weekend for a getaway
Hamilton, NJ, June 26, 2019 – More Americans than ever recorded by AAA, nearly 49 million, are making plans to honor the red, white and blue with an Independence Day getaway this year. (AAA began tracking holiday travel in 2000.) Overall travel volume for the holiday is expected to rise 4.1 percent over last year, with an additional 1.9 million people planning road trips and other vacations to celebrate America’s birthday.
This trend holds true in the Garden State, as AAA Mid-Atlantic projects that almost 1.4 million people will take to the roads, skies, rails and waterways to enjoy family, friends, and fireworks; this is a 3.8 percent increase over last year’s forecast. The Independence Day holiday period is defined as Wednesday, July 3 to Sunday, July 7.
 AAA Independence Day Travel Highlights
Total Travel
- New Jersey, 1.4 million travelers are expected to travel for the July 4th holiday period, a 3.8 percent increase over last year.
- Nationally, 48.9 million travelers are expected to travel this Independence Day, a 4.1 percent increase over 2018.
Automobile Travel
- New Jersey, 1.1 million (83 percent) will driver to their destination, an increase of 3.9 percent over 2018.
- Nationally, 41.4 million (85 percent) Americans will drive to their destinations, an increase of 4.3 percent over last year.
Air Travel
- New Jersey, 123.687 (9 percent) will be flying to their destination, an increase of 5.9 percent from 2018.
- Nationally, 3.9 million (8 percent) people are taking to the skies this Independence Day, increasing air travel by 5.3 percent over last year.
Other
- New Jersey, 110,554 (8 percent) will utilize other modes of transportation for their getaway, an increase of 0.6 percent over last year.
- Nationally, 3.5 million (7.2 percent) travelers, an increase of 0.6percent from 2018, will look to other modes of transportation, including cruises, trains and buses.
“As Independence Day approaches, it’s time for the much loved family road trip and this year will be one for the record books, with more Americans than ever planning vacations,” said Tracy Noble, spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “This holiday builds on the strong travel demand seen for Memorial Day, and with schools now out of session across the country, families coast to coast are eager to travel.”
What’s causing the increase in travelers?
In addition to strong economic variables, the expected increase in travelers this year is helped by falling gas prices. With today’s national average of $2.68, gas prices are 16 cents less year-over-year and expected to drop even lower into the summer. This is motivating record numbers of travelers to take road trips for the holiday weekend.
“Gas prices are, on average, 10-20-cents cheaper than Memorial Day weekend, which is welcome news for motorists hitting the road to celebrate the July Fourth holiday,” Noble added. “More so, summer gas prices are poised to continue dropping even lower in coming weeks.”
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Today (6/26)
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2018
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2017
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2016
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2015
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2014
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New Jersey
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$2.74
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$2.89
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$2.28
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$2.09
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$2.60
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$3.57
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Pennsylvania
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$2.85
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$3.02
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$2.43
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$2.42
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$2.87
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$3.77
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Delaware
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$2.48
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$2.70
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$2.14
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$2.15
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$2.66
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$3.62
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National
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$2.68
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$2.86
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$2.23
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$2.26
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$2.76
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$3.66
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Record-level drivers equals record-level delays
For the 41.4 million Americans traveling by automobile this Independence Day, INRIX, in collaboration with AAA, predicts drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion on Wednesday, July 3 as commuters mix with holiday travelers. In major metros, drivers could face delays as much as four times a normal commute. Nationwide, delays are expected to increase by approximately 9%.
“With record-level travelers hitting the road this holiday, drivers must be prepared for delays around our major metro areas,” said Noble. “Although travel times are expected to nominally increase throughout the week, hands down, Wednesday afternoon will be the worst time to be on the road.”
AAA to rescue more than 367,000 motorists this Independence Day
Nationally, AAA expects to rescue more than 367,000 motorists this Independence Day weekend, with the primary reasons being dead batteries, flat tires and lockouts. From July 3 through July 8 of last year, AAA Club Alliance helped over 55,000 motorists with vehicle issues, 9,100 of those in New Jersey. AAA recommends motorists take their vehicle to a trusted repair facility to perform any needed maintenance before heading out. Oil changes, fluid level checks, battery tests and tire inspections go a long way toward reducing the chances of a breakdown.
Methodology:
AAA’s projections are based on economic forecasting and research by IHS Markit, a London-based business information provider. For the purposes of this forecast, the Independence Day holiday travel period is defined as the five-day period from Wednesday, July 3 to Sunday, July 7. In cooperation with AAA, IHS Markit developed a unique methodology to forecast actual domestic travel volumes, using macroeconomic drivers such as employment; output; household net worth; asset prices including stock indices; interest rates; housing market indicators and variables related to travel and tourism, including prices of gasoline, airline travel and hotel stays. The complete AAA/IHS Markit 2019 Independence Day holiday travel forecast is available here.
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