More than 2 million Virginians expected to travel for July 4
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More than 2 million Virginians expected to travel for July 4
More than 72 million Americans are planning to travel for the July 4 holiday. AAA Mid-Atlantic Spokesperson Morgan Dean says Americans prioritize travel regardless of higher gas prices and economic uncertainty. The busiest days on the road surrounding Independence Day are expected to be Wednesday, July 2 and Sunday, July 6. AAA expects nearly 150,000 Virginians to take to the skies and noted an increased interest in cruise travel. The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is warning of a new COVID variant spreading across the U.S.
“Here in Virginia, 2.1 million are traveling, with about 1.8 million of those hitting the roadways, higher than we saw last year, and higher than we saw way back in 2019, so we’re talking some big-time numbers out there,” AAA Mid-Atlantic Spokesperson Morgan Dean said.
Dean says that Americans prioritize travel regardless of higher gas prices and economic uncertainty.
“Doesn’t really matter whether you’re going to be hitting the road, hitting the airports to get into the skies, or maybe taking a cruise or grabbing a train to get off for your holiday, it’s going to be busy,” Dean added.
The busiest days on the road surrounding Independence Day are expected to be Wednesday, July 2 and Sunday, July 6.
If you must drive on those days, try to avoid peak hours.
“The best recommendation is to try and avoid the worst of the traffic, leave early in the day, leave sometime in the morning, or if you’d rather be at your destination for a little bit longer that day, wait it out into the evening and then drive home,” Dean said. “We tend to see that traffic really build up in that mid to late afternoon, as everybody’s trying to get home just ahead of dinner time.”
AAA expects nearly 150,000 Virginians to take to the skies and noted an increased interest in cruise travel.
The top 10 travel destinations are Orlando, Seattle, New York City, Anchorage, Fort Lauderdale, Honolulu, Denver, Miami, Boston and Atlanta.
But vacationing for Independence Day isn’t all fun and fireworks.
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is warning of a new COVID variant spreading across the U.S.
“There are some symptoms that are being reported that are very severe-sounding. I keep hearing it called razor blades in the throat,” VDH Respiratory Disease Program Coordinator Lisa Sollot said. “Anybody traveling should be mindful of their health, and should kind of take their own health into consideration, and the health of those around them.”
To protect yourself and others, avoid crowds as much as possible and wash your hands often.
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Source: https://www.12onyourside.com/2025/06/27/more-than-2-million-virginians-expected-travel-july-4/