SAN DIEGO (CNS) — Travelers keying up for a Fourth of July trip should be prepared for a busy travel period, with the Sunday and Monday before and after the holiday expected to be busiest.

According to the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, the nine-day holiday travel window will see 85,000 people arriving and departing from San Diego International Airport on its busiest days.

“Summer travel season has definitely started at SAN,” said Kimberly Becker, president and CEO of the airport authority. “So far, our passenger volumes for this year are similar to 2024, which was a record-breaking year. We typically see an increase in the number of travelers during the July 4th travel period, and this year we anticipate an average of 80,000 people at the airport each day.”

According to the authority, the busiest days during the nine-day holiday travel period are expected to be Sunday and Monday before and after Independence Day on Friday, July 4. The single busiest travel day is expected to be Sunday, July 6.

For those heading to San Diego International to pick up or drop off, expect delays on westbound and eastbound North Harbor Drive due to the possibility of slow construction vehicles.

The busiest times curbside will likely be 4 to 6:15 a.m., 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. to midnight.

To help avoid holiday travel woes, the airport authority offered some tips:

arrive at least two hours early to avoid the busiest times

make parking reservations at san.org/parking

take the free San Diego Flyer shuttle service between the Old Town Transit Station and SAN. The electric shuttle buses operate seven days a week, with an average arrival time of every 20 to 30 minutes. The first pickup is at 4:45 a.m. with the last pickup/drop off at 12:30 a.m

have family or friends drop you off or use ride-hailing services.

Copyright 2025, City News Service, Inc.

The summertime season is here, and there are celebrations across the country through July 4. Soon, millions of families will travel to celebrate Independence Day.

Officials expect record-breaking numbers of travelers to take to the roads and skies.

“We’re looking at 3.4 million across the state, 3.1 million will be going by car. (When driving) you can control your environment a whole lot better,” said Kara Hitchens with the American Automobile Association (AAA). “You can go and come when you want to go and come and make pit stops along the way.”

She says many people across Ohio will be traveling by road. AAA reports that over three million people will drive across the Buckeye State as their preferred method of transportation.

Gas prices are a lot better. AAA reports the national average is around $3.22, and in Ohio, the average is $3.05

Travelers won’t be the only ones on the road. is setting up patrols across state highways to keep an eye out for safety.

“We’re going to be in full force,” Sgt. Brice Nihiser said. “We’re going to be looking for impaired drivers. We’re going to be looking for people who aren’t doing what they need to do on the road to keep themselves and everyone else safe.”

Millions on the road can lead to road congestion.

“Make sure that you’re buckled up this weekend,” Nihiser added. “Make sure you drive sober. Make sure you’re not distracted. We don’t want any distractions on our roads because we know that that’s a major contributor to some of our crashes.”

ODOT ( ) urges drivers to pay attention to major construction projects across the state.

“Even if it’s a work zone where maybe you’re familiar with the traffic pattern because you commute through it every day here, we’ve got a lot of people who will be passing through Ohio that are not familiar with these work zones,” ODOT Press Secretary Matt Bruning said.

People looking to fly are asked to arrive early to avoid any headaches.

“We always tell people to make sure that you download the airline’s app,” Hitchens said. “That way, you’ll get first notifications of any cancellations or delays.”

AAA recommends morning departures before 11 a.m. to avoid backups and potential delays.

The group says July 2 and July 6 are expected to be the busiest travel days on the roads.

Gas prices stable in Missouri and Illinois ahead of record breaking 4th of July travel

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI)– Despite global conflicts, drivers across Missouri and Illinois are seeing relatively stable gas prices ahead of the busy Fourth of July travel weekend.

“Despite all the news and talk around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, gas prices throughout Missouri have really been stagnant over the last week,” said Nick Chabarria, spokesman for AAA. “The current Missouri statewide average today is $2.86. That’s up just about a penny from where we were last week, and still about 20 cents cheaper than this time last year.”

Illinois drivers are also seeing some price increases, though the state typically trends higher than Missouri.

“The average today in Illinois is $3.48, up about four cents from last week,” Chabarria said. “But again, not anything too significant and still cheaper by about 12 to 30 cents compared to last year.”

Chabarria said the conflict in the Middle East remains a wild card for futures gas prices.

“At least it seems, from the reports we’re getting, that tensions may be de-escalating, which is good news for keeping oil and gas prices in check,” he said. “Barring any major disruptions or escalation, drivers right now stand to see some year over year savings.”

AAA is predicting a record breaking number of travelers this holiday, both on the road and in the air.

“We’re wondering how long we’ll be able to keep saying this, but AAA is forecasting a record breaking amount of travel for the Fourth of July holiday,” Chabarria said. “So certainly expected to be a busy one.”

Chabarria encourages drivers to prepare their vehicles before hitting the road to avoid any issues during their travels.

“Make sure your vehicle’s road-trip ready,” he said. “That means oil changes, rotating and properly inflating your tires, and making sure your engine is running efficiently to help save on fuel.”

For a full list of gas prices across the region and an estimate for your Fourth of July road trip, visit AAA Fuel Price List.

For the first time in more than 10 years, Independence Day falls on a Friday in 2025. While Fourth of July is always a busy time for travel, the long weekend means travelers should prepare for larger crowds. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened a record number of passengers during the 2024 July Fourth weekend, and those records might be broken again in 2025.

According to a new forecast from AAA, a record 72.2 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home between Saturday, June 28, and Sunday, July 6. That’s a 2.4% increase over 2024, with both road and air travel expected to reach all-time highs.

Meanwhile, vacation rental data site AirDNA says that bookings at short-term rentals are higher this year versus July Fourth 2024 — and some of those increases are pretty significant. For example, Washington D.C. has 26.8% more reservations on the books compared to this time last year.

But some days of the holiday week are less crowded (and cheaper) than others. If you can be flexible with your travel schedule and fly out on one of those less-crowded days, you could save money and avoid peak airport chaos.

Here’s what you need to know to fly smarter over the Independence Day travel window in 2025 — and potentially save money on airfare.

The best and worst days to fly over Fourth of July weekend in 2025

NerdWallet analyzed airfare price data provided by Expedia and TSA data showing the number of passengers screened at its U.S. checkpoints to predict the best and worst days to fly for July Fourth. We focused on a 15-day period including the week leading up to Independence Day, the holiday itself and the week following it. Here’s what you can expect in 2025.

The worst day to fly on or before Fourth of July

Friday, June 27: To avoid crowds and save money, don’t fly the Friday before. Last year, the Friday before July Fourth was the busiest travel day in the week preceding the holiday.

Expedia expects that Friday, June 27, will be the most expensive day to fly in the seven-day window ahead of July Fourth.

The worst days to fly after Fourth of July

Sunday, July 6: For post-holiday travel, the Sunday after Fourth of July ranks as the busiest day to fly. In 2024, the Sunday after the holiday, July 7, marked the first time more than 3 million people passed through TSA checkpoints in a single day. About 36% more people passed through airports on that day compared to Fourth of July.

We expect similar patterns with a Friday holiday as people look to return home from the long weekend.

Friday, July 11: Along with July 6, this is one of the two most expensive days to fly in the seven-day period after July Fourth, according to Expedia. TSA data from the past six years shows that Fridays are typically the busiest day of the week throughout the year, so it’s no surprise that prices will be high.

The best days to fly on or before Fourth of July

Friday, July 4: Typically, Independence Day is the least busy day to fly. We expect that pattern to hold, even though the holiday falls on a Friday this year — and Fridays are typically busy days for flying. Last year, airport crowds on July Fourth were 24% smaller than they were on the busiest travel day in the week ahead of the holiday, which was the Friday before.

Fourth of July is also one of the cheapest days to fly in the week leading up to the holiday, according to Expedia — a sign of lower demand.

Monday, June 30: If you’d rather spend July Fourth celebrating — and not in an airport — turn to Monday, June 30. According to Expedia, Monday, June 30, will be the cheapest day to fly in the week leading up to the holiday. Booking a flight on this date gives you a head start on your vacation while avoiding the higher prices seen later in the week.

The best days to fly after Fourth of July

Monday, July 7, and Tuesday, July 8: These are the two cheapest dates to fly in the week after the holiday, according to Expedia. In general, Tuesday is also the least busy day on average at airports, according to a NerdWallet analysis of TSA data over the past six years.

Optimize your Fourth of July itinerary

Avoid the July Fourth crowds and save money by traveling during less-crowded times.

For longer trips, fly earlier in the week. If you want to extend your trip, consider leaving on Monday or Tuesday ahead of the holiday, rather than Friday, June 27. For your return trip, try flying out on Monday or Tuesday following the holiday weekend.

Travel on July Fourth. Whether you’re arriving home or jetting off, flying early in the day on July Fourth might be a smart move. About 86% of flights departing between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. from major airports left on time, compared to just 71% of flights departing between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., according to Department of Transportation data from December 2024, the most recent data available.

The Independence Day weekend is always a busy summer travel time – and this year will be no exception. The Washington State Department of Transportation urges all travelers to plan ahead this holiday.

WSDOT will not publish Fourth of July holiday travel charts this year, due to a lack of historical hourly vehicle volume data. The last time July 4 fell on a Friday was more than a decade ago and under standard state retention laws that data was deleted. Travel forecasts typically rely on a mix of current traffic conditions and past patterns. Without the historical data, analysts were unable to produce reliable charts. WSDOT is changing retention schedules going forward to improve future holiday forecasting. (The retention issue will not affect this year’s Labor Day or Thanksgiving weekend travel charts).

Instead of travel charts, travelers are encouraged to use WSDOT resources and follow these tips whether traveling across town or statewide:

– Get informed about WSDOT’s online tools, including the WSDOT mobile app, traffic cameras and email alerts.

– Visit online traveler information for traffic, weather, ferry schedules and a real-time travel map.

– Follow WSDOT on various social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky and X.

– Identify potential safety rest areas before heading out, to ensure enough breaks to avoid drowsy driving.

– Pre-program vehicle radios to 530 AM and 1610 AM for highway advisory radio alerts – and be alert for other stations listed on notice signs in some areas.

– Have a backup outdoor destination as parks and other outdoor recreation sites tend to fill up quickly on holiday weekends. If a site’s parking is full, never park along road shoulders as this is unsafe for everyone on the roadway, including emergency response vehicles.

What to expect

Travel will be busy across the state – no matter where and how people choose to travel.

Holiday weekends often mean increased traffic and delays along state highways, waterways, airports and pedestrian trails. Travelers should be patient, expect delays, allow extra travel time and stay alert. Delays may also occur as crews respond to crashes or conduct emergency repairs.

In general, all travelers should expect:

– Heavier traffic on Thursday and Friday, July 3-4 as people set out for holiday destinations.

– Heavy return traffic on Sunday and Monday, July 6-7.

Most highway construction paused

Most state highway construction work is suspended Friday, July 4 and throughout the holiday weekend to ease congestion. However, travelers should stay alert for lane shifts or work zone staging that may remain in place.

Ferry travel

People boarding a ferry by vehicle can expect the busiest sailings and longer wait times likely westbound (or onto an island) Wednesday through Friday, July 2-4, and eastbound (or off island) Saturday and Sunday, July 5-6. Walk-on passengers can bypass vehicle lines and usually board much faster. Washington state ferry routes also are expected to be busy and reservations are strongly encouraged on routes that offer them.

– All riders should double check the sailing schedules and sign up to receive rider alerts as last-minute delays or canceled sailings are possible based on vessel and crew availability.

– Visit the Washington State Ferries website for more details on how to make a vehicle reservation for some routes, track ferries on a real-time map and check terminal status.

Snoqualmie Pass

No construction is planned on I-90 from Friday, July 4 to Sunday, July 6. However, the usual holiday increase in traffic means travelers should expect delays, especially eastbound on Friday and westbound on Sunday. People can receive text message alerts about significant delays by texting the words “WSDOT Snoqualmie” to 468311.

Mount Rainier information

– The National Park Service has a project in progress to repair sections of SR 123 that adds about 30 minutes of travel time, seven days a week, through October.

– This year marks the second season of timed-entry reservations into the park.

Vantage Bridge

To help accommodate increased travel during the holiday weekend, all four lanes of I-90 across the Vantage Bridge will be open Thursday through Tuesday, July 3-8. Outside of that time, the bridge will have only one lane in each direction through fall due to construction on the bridge. This project is part of a long-term effort to replace the deteriorating bridge deck, with construction expected to be complete by fall 2028.

Tolling

In the Puget Sound region, weekend toll rates will be in effect on Friday, July 4, on the State Route 520 bridge and SR 99 tunnel. The I-405 express toll lanes and SR 167 HOT lanes will be free and open to all drivers on July 4. Out-of-town travelers, including those using rental cars, can learn about toll roads and temporary account payment options on the Good To Go! visitors page.

Trains, airports and transit

Travelers making a trip by train, personal aircraft or bus also should plan ahead to avoid holiday delays:

– Amtrak Cascades passengers are encouraged to purchase tickets early and plan to arrive at the station one hour before departure. Trains are running between Vancouver, British Columbia and Eugene, Oregon, stopping at 18 stations along the way. Buses also are available for travel between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia and between Seattle and Bellingham. Visit www.AmtrakCascades.com or call 800-USA-RAIL for tickets and schedules.

– For information about traveling via state-sponsored airports, visit wsdot.wa.gov/travel/aviation/airports-list or call 360-618-2477.

– Check with local public transit agencies for any holiday schedule or service changes, including some Dial-A-Ride and fixed-route service that may not run on holidays.