It appears Delawareans will travel in near record numbers this weekend for the July 4th holiday.
AAA Mid-Atlantic projects about 116,000 Delawareans will travel 50 miles or more for the holiday.
That’s up 3% over last year - when COVID numbers were still on the rise. And it’s higher than the number of people who hit the road last month for Memorial Day.
And AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman Jana Tidwell notes that they expect people to make it a four day weekend, “AAA defines the Independence Holiday weekend beginning this Thursday, June 30 through Monday, July 4. Thursday will be a big getaway day, in addition to Friday for those who want to make a long four-day weekend.”
Tidwell adds the ability to work remotely means many can get their holiday weekend started earlier.
She says during peak morning and evening travel times, AAA expects traffic volume to nearly double from the norm - so leaving at off-peak times - like early morning or late at night is best.
Tidwell says while most people will drive to their destination, air travel and use of buses and trains are also up significantly over last year.
Tidwell says the top July 4th destinations in the U.S. continue to be the big cities and beaches like New York City and Orlando, Florida.
Tidwell notes that gas prices, while dipping slightly in the past week, are still the highest motorists have ever paid. But they do not seem to be deterring motorists from hitting the road.
She adds people should be patient when they hit traffic and flexible in case of inclement weather.
