Weekend marks busy travel day on U.S. roads, higher than pre-pandemic numbers

LIVERMORE, Calif. - Sunday is expected to be a big travel day on U.S. roads. AAA predicts that the number of people traveling this Fourth of July holiday is even higher than pre-pandemic levels. 

AAA said 61 million people are expected to hit the road this holiday weekend; 5 million additional travelers on our roads compared to 2019. The organization said gas prices are a key reason why.

Gas prices are slightly lower this year than in July 2023, making travel by car a more tempting option.

More affordability means more demand, so plan to see a lot of fellow drivers on the roads if that's how you're traveling.

The peak times for congestion on Sunday were between 2 and 8 p.m.

If you're looking to avoid traffic, AAA said the best bet is to leave outside those peak times.

Traveling on Sunday and even Monday could be a bit slower, so leave extra time and head out early if you can.

But roadways are not the only busy places this weekend. AAA expects a record number of more than 5.5 million people will fly to their Fourth of July celebrations.

"The lines were so long I've never seen it that way," said traveler Julia Jayne of Oakland.

"It was pretty uncrowded on the Fourth but this morning…it was lines out the door," said Noah Jayne.

Plenty of people were expected to head to the Bay Area for the holiday, as San Francisco was one of the cities with the highest demand for rental cars over the weekend, according to AAA.