AAA: Seattle among top 3 Fourth of July travel destinations

Seattle was ranked as the second-best Fourth of July travel destination in a new list created by AAA based on its travel booking data.

AAA projected that 72.2 million travelers will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Independence Day holiday travel period from June 28 to July 6.

Seattle’s top 10 for Fourth of July travel destinations

AAA projects a record 61.6 million people will travel by car over Independence Day weekend, an additional 1.7 million travelers compared to last year, and 7 million more than in 2019.

“Cruises, beaches, and fireworks are the main motivators for travelers heading to these cities,” AAA stated. “Alaska cruises are in peak season, Florida and Hawaii are in high demand for their resorts and attractions, and New York and Boston host two of the most popular fireworks shows in the nation.”

The top 10 domestic travel destinations in order include:

Orlando, FL; Seattle, WA; New York, NY; Anchorage, AK; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Honolulu, HI; Denver, CO; Miami, FL; Boston, MA; and Atlanta, GA.

“Summertime is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year, and July 4 is one of the most popular times to get away,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. 

AAA also projected that 5.84 million people will fly to their July 4 destinations, a 1.4% increase compared to last year, and 8% of all Independence Day travelers.

“Following Memorial Day’s record forecast, AAA is seeing strong demand for road trips and air travel over Independence Day week,” Barber said. “With the holiday falling on a Friday, travelers have the option of making it a long weekend or taking the entire week to make memories with family and friends.”

Through transportation data and insights, INRIX found that the worst travel times by car this holiday are July 3 and July 4 between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Date	Worst Travel Time	Best Travel Time
Monday, Jul 1	Minimal Traffic Impact Expected
Tuesday, Jul 2	2 – 6 p.m.	After 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Jul 3	2 – 7 p.m.	Before 12 p.m.
Thursday, Jul 4	2 – 7 p.m.	Before 12 p.m.
Friday, Jul 5	11 a.m. – 4 p.m.	Before 10 a.m.
Saturday, Jul 6	10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.	Before 10 a.m.
Sunday, Jul 7	2 – 8 p.m.	Before 11 a.m.
Monday, Jul 8	1 – 5 p.m.	After 7 p.m.

 

The peak congestion route for Washington during the Fourth of July holiday is expected to be Ellensburg to Seattle via eastbound I-90. Travelers should expect peak congestion on Sunday around 4:30 p.m., with an estimated travel time of 2 hours and 19 minutes.

AAA recommends that travelers undergo routine vehicle maintenance ahead of their Fourth of July plans, citing a whopping 700,000 emergency roadside assistance calls occurred last year, including issues such as dead batteries, flat tires, and running out of gas.

AAA noted that the Independence Day travel period is a nine-day window from Saturday, June 28 to Sunday, July 6.

“Historically, this holiday period included only one weekend,” AAA stated. “The expanded travel window was instituted starting in 2024, with historical results calculated back to 2019 using the new nine-day period.”

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