Record number of travelers expected for July 4th week

ST. LOUIS – AAA is projecting that many millions of people will travel for this July 4th holiday. In fact, AAA is expecting record-setting travel numbers for trips in cars and on planes.

AAA believes that travel numbers for this July 4th holiday could top pre-pandemic numbers from back in 2019. July 3rd and July 7th are expected to be the busiest travel days.

AAA is projecting that nearly 71 million people across the country will be taking trips of some kind that are more than 50 miles from home during this holiday period. That’s a five percent increase over last year and an eight percent jump compared to 2019.

AAA is expecting a record 60.6 million people to take road trips this holiday weekend.

In Missouri, at one point, 2 million people are expected to hit the roadways; that’s a four percent jump over last year and a seven percent increase versus 2019.

In Illinois, 3.8 million people will jump into their cars for trips over the 4th. That’s five percent more than last year and an eight percent jump compared to 2019.

Air travel is also expected to set a new record. 5.74 million people are expected to fly to their July 4th destinations. That is seven percent higher than last year and a 12 percent jump versus 2019.

AAA is projecting that air travel in Missouri and Illinois will be up as well. The overall increase in travel numbers is certainly a focus for law enforcement. They will be out in force, trying to keep roadways safe.

More than 4.5 million people are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, including buses, trains and cruises.

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