When's the Best Day to Get Out of Town for 4th of July?

Americans will hit the road for Fourth of July in numbers that haven’t been seen since 2007, AAA said in its annual Independence Day travel forecast. (Photo via Shutterstock)

_______________________

Gas prices are down, disposable income is up and the number of Americans who will be traveling 50 miles or more over the five-day holiday weekend to celebrate Independence Day – 41.9 million – is higher than it’s been since 2007.

The majority of them – 35.5 million, or almost 85 percent of all Fourth of July travelers – will be driving to their destinations, according to the AAA Independence Day travel forecast released Thursday. That’s a lot of rubber on the highway during the holiday travel period, defined as Wednesday, July 1, to Sunday, July 5.

So, when should you leave to avoid the traffic jams as patriotic revelers make their exodus from cities and head to the beach and other holiday destinations?

If past travel patterns hold true, Friday and Sunday could be the busiest travel days. Speaking with Patch on Friday, a AAA spokesperson said the best day to travel would be Wednesday, July 1.

That’s based on a 2013 survey, the last time AAA asked travelers what day they planned to leave. The travel period that year was Wednesday, July 3, through Sunday, July 7. Almost a third of 2013 travelers, 32 percent, said they planned to leave on the eve of Independence Day, and 38 percent said they planned to travel home on Sunday. The Fourth of July fell on the second day of the travel period that year, and nearly half of travelers said they would leave before July 3.

Tell Us:

• How do you plan to celebrate Independence Day this year?

AAA spokeswoman Julie Hall said the same travel patterns may not hold true this year, because the holiday periods are different. July 4 falls on a Saturday this year. In 2013, it was on a Thursday.

“These are survey results specific to travel those years and the holiday periods are different, so it is not possible to say if these patterns are true for this year,” she explained.

Hall said motorists who are intent on avoiding traffic might want to consider traveling on July 4 if their plans accommodate it. The highways will be almost deserted then.

“Typically, traveling on the exact day of the holiday tends to be a little quieter,” she said.

Lodging Costs Up

The increase in travel is primarily due to rising income, a strong job market and fuel prices that, though showing seasonal increases, are lower than last year, AAA President Marshall L. Doney said in a statement.

Independence Day gas prices are expected to be the lowest in five years. The current national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.78, 88 cents less than the average price on Independence Day last year, AAA said.

That’s good news for the millions of travelers planning a Fourth of July road trip, and the lower gas prices may offset increases in lodging once travelers reach their destination.

According to AAA’s Leisure Travel index, the average nightly stay in a Two Diamond hotel costs about 6 percent more this year than last at an average cost of $145, while Three Diamond hotels cost 9 percent more, averaging $195.