AAA: Fewer Traveling This Holiday Weekend

Though the American Automobile Association (AAA) forecasts 39 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Independence Day holiday weekend, it is a 2.5 percent decline from those who traveled a year ago.

The Independence Day holiday travel period for this year is defined as Thursday, June 30, to Monday, July 4.

“AAA is projecting a slight decline in the number of Independence Day travelers mainly due to fuel prices being approximately one dollar per gallon higher than last year,” said Glen MacDonell, director of AAA Travel Services. “Increased fuel costs are also responsible for a shift in the demographics of the typical Independence Day traveler as higher prices impact lower income households more significantly.”

AAA expects the national average price for regular gasoline to remain between $3.60 and $3.70 per gallon during the Independence Day holiday weekend.

According to AAA, the percentage of travelers with a household income of $50,000 or less is expected to decrease from 41 percent to 33 percent, while travelers with a household income of more than $100,000 are expected to increase to 35 percent from 26 percent.

Air traveling is expected to rise 9 percent this holiday weekend due to the rising cost of gasoline despite the cost of airfares increasing 11 percent from last year, according to AAA.

Whatever mode of travel, AAA says the average distance traveled by Americans during the Independence Day holiday weekend is expected to be 573 miles, 7 percent less than last year’s average travel.

But the good news for the travel industry is that the median spending level is expected to be $807, an increase of 25 percent from $644 last year.

Travelers may check resources offered by the Maryland State Highway Administration, including itsCHART service that offers real-time updates on traffic conditions and incidents and “Road Ready”website that offers information on construction projects in the state.