Americans hit the roads for July 4 despite high gas prices

Americans were still packing the highways for the July 4 holiday, even with gasoline prices elevated and well above historical norms. AAA said 72.2 million people were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home during the nine-day Independence Day window from Saturday, June 27 through Sunday, July 5, with 61.4 million of them traveling by car.

That road-trip total was slightly above last year’s 71.8 million travelers, but AAA said the broader pattern now looks more like a plateau than another surge. The forecast still pointed to record volume, yet the growth rate has flattened, a sign that higher prices have become part of the holiday equation rather than a reason for many families to stay home.

GasBuddy projected the national average price of gasoline at about $3.75 per gallon on July 4, which would make it the second-most expensive Independence Day at the pump on record. The only higher July 4 price came in 2022, when the national average hit $4.80 per gallon. GasBuddy said the outlook followed six straight weeks of national average price declines, giving drivers at least some relief heading into the holiday.

The willingness to travel anyway shows how durable holiday demand remains when the trip is tied to family gatherings, long-planned vacations and a fixed summer tradition. For many households, that means absorbing the fuel bill and trimming elsewhere, whether by choosing a shorter drive, delaying other summer spending or simply treating the road trip as a non-negotiable expense.

Geopolitics also played a role in the mood at the pump. Tensions easing between the United States and Iran took some pressure off fuel markets, reducing fears that disruption through the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a sharper spike in prices. That waterway is a critical chokepoint: Congressional Research Service reporting says roughly 27% of the world’s maritime trade in crude oil and petroleum products passes through it, along with about 20% of global liquefied natural gas trade.

That backdrop helps explain why even modest relief can matter. For retailers, gas stations, restaurants and tourism operators, the holiday surge still brings a needed burst of traffic. For households, the calculation is simpler and more immediate: travel is expensive, but for millions of Americans the Fourth of July remains worth the cost.