AAA expecting millions of Arizonans to travel for Fourth of July

PHOENIX — AAA is expecting more than 1.5 million Arizona residents to travel for the Fourth of July.

AAA is anticipating 71 million people to travel across the United States, according to a news release. AAA has extended its outlook to include the entire week surrounding July 4, including the Saturday before and the Sunday after the holiday.

This year’s forecast is a 5% increase from the 67.4 million Fourth of July travelers in 2023.

“Arizonans are opting to take longer trips with Independence Day falling on a Thursday,” Brian Ng, senior vice president of membership and travel marketing for AAA Arizona, said in a news release. “This further fuels summer travel demand that is showing no signs of slowing down.”

While 80% Arizona’s holiday travelers are expected to go by car, air travel has shown the most substantial growth in recent years, increasing 12.3% since 2019, according to the release.

This year’s Fourth of July holiday travel period is defined as the nine-day period from Saturday, June 29 to Sunday, July 7. This is the first year the Independence Day holiday travel stretch is a longer timeframe with two weekends included, according to the release.