Shea Simmons
Whether you’re heading half an hour away or you’ve got a major road trip ahead, those traveling by car during the Fourth of July weekend should expect holiday traffic. Thankfully, though, there might be a way to avoid it (or at least some of it).
The American Automobile Association and transportation analytics company Inrix have released their predictions for Americans’ Fourth of July travel plans. According to the pair, some driving times are better than others.
The best times to hit the road are:
- Thursday, June 30 before 7 a.m. and after 8 pm.
- Friday, July 1 before 10 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
- Saturday, July 2 before 12 p.m. or after 7 p.m.
- Sunday, July 3 at any time
- Monday, July 4 at any time
As for the worst travel, those hours are not just during rush hour. The time frames are actually extended well beyond your usual post-work traffic jam. Drivers will want to avoid travel:
- Thursday, June 30 between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
- Friday, July 1 between 12 p.m. and 9 p.m.
- Saturday, July 2 between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
While these times might vary in certain areas, they’re good estimations of when traffic will be heaviest, and it will be heavy. AAA and Inrix predict 47.9 million people will travel for the Fourth of July despite high gas prices.
If you’re one of the many people hitting the road, plan your trip well, and maybe make sure your cruise control is working if you want to save some gas mileage.
