America 250: 72.2M people expected to travel for July 4th

If you’re planning on hitting the road for the Independence Day holiday, you won’t be alone.

AAA predicted that 72.2 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from their homes this year, from now until July 5, surpassing last year’s record of 71.8 million.

While it is projected to be a record, the growth year over year is smaller than the past, the agency said.

About the same number of people will be driving or flying as last year, but more will be going on cruises, AAA found.

How are people getting to their destinations?

Here is how people are traveling:

• Car: 61.4 million (61.3 million in 2025)
• Air: 5.85 million (.2% increase from 2025)
• Bus, train and cruise: 4.93 million (5.3% increase from 2025)

Where are people going?

The most popular destination in the U.S. is Seattle, with Orlando coming in second. Internationally, it is Vancouver followed by Rome.

Here are the rankings, according to AAA:

Domestic:

1. Seattle
2. Orlando, Florida
3. Anchorage, Alaska
4. Miami
5. New York
6. Chicago
7. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
8. Fairbanks, Alaska
9. Denver
10. Boston

International:

1. Vancouver
2. Rome
3. Dublin
4. Paris
5. London
6. Calgary
7. Reykjavik
8. Amsterdame
9. Athens
10. Barcelona

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