AAA Chicago Expects July 4th Weekend Travel to Set Record

AURORA, Ill., June 29 -- The roads and the skies will be the busiest ever for a Fourth of July holiday weekend, according to AAA Chicago. Roughly, 40.3 million Americans say they will travel 50 miles or more from home this weekend. That's 2.8 percent higher than last year. And, about 84 percent of travelers, or 33.9 million people, will travel by motor vehicle although the national average for regular unleaded gasoline is $2.21, which is a 30-cent increase from a year ago.

"The biggest factor for this year's holiday increase is a three-day weekend," says Kris Lathan, AAA Chicago public affairs director. "This weekend follows the trend of increased travel throughout this year."

This will be the most heavily traveled Fourth of July ever, and this long weekend will put more American travelers on the road than even the busiest holiday travel weekend -- Thanksgiving.

Although prices may vary by the weekend, currently in Illinois, the price of regular unleaded is $2.26 per gallon, which is 35 cents higher than this time last year. In Indiana, a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline costs $2.19 per gallon compared to $1.81 per gallon during last year's July Fourth holiday weekend.

The Great Lakes region, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, will see approximately 4.7 million auto travelers and roughly 600,000 air travelers. Across the country, 4.6 million Americans will travel by plane, representing a 4.2 percent increase over last year. About 5 percent, or 1.8 million, of all holiday vacationers will travel by train, bus or other mode of transportation.

Big cities and rural areas top the list of preferred destinations with 23 percent of national travelers. Areas near water came next with ocean/beach at 18 percent and lake areas at 14 percent of travelers. Fourth of July travel research is based on a national telephone survey of 1,300 adults by the Travel Industry Association of American, which conducts special research for AAA.

For more than 100 years, AAA has represented the interests of the nation's motorists and served as an advocate for various traffic safety and travel related issues. AAA Chicago has served in that role in Illinois and Northern Indiana since its founding in 1906.

AAA Chicago offers automotive, travel, insurance and financial services. It is part of The Auto Club Group (ACG), the largest affiliation of AAA clubs in the Midwest, with 4.1 million members in eight states. ACG clubs belong to the national AAA federation, a not-for-profit organization, with more than 48 million members in the United States and Canada.