(CNN) — Americans are feeling the heat at the gas pump, but that won’t keep them in park, AAA predicts.
The automotive and trip-planning group’s annual forecast for the July 4 holiday weekend says that 42 million Americans — more than ever — will take a road trip of 50 miles or more.
That’s despite gas prices hitting a record earlier this month. The national average per gallon on Monday stood at $4.98, just pennies off the high of $5.02 reached a week earlier.
A combination of vacationers and commuters could drive travel times to double the normal length at peak points on Thursday and Friday evenings, traffic experts at Inrix said.
It warned some of the most congested routes then will include highways around Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle.
The best time to travel from Thursday through Friday is early or late in the day, Inrix projected. It said congestion on Sunday and Monday should be lower. July 4 lands on Monday this year.
Gas-saving tips
Heavy traffic causes slow-going in Providence, Rhode Island, on June 16, 2022. This will likely be a site familiar to plenty of July 4 drivers this year.
Kris Craig/The Providence Journal/USA Today Network
People determined to hit the road still have ways to at least ease the sting of gas prices. A few strategies include:
• Bypass stations just off major highways: “It’s usually best not use the stations right along the interstate,” advised Ellen Edmonds, manager of AAA public relations, in a recent interview with CNN Travel. Instead, “drive a few miles drive down the road. Look for residential areas or remote rural areas.”
• Get stingy at expensive gas stations: If you’re running real low on gas and you’re stuck in an area with jacked-up prices, by all means pull over to refuel. Just don’t fill up all the way. Pump enough gas to safely get to a location where stations generally charge less.
• Consider a “nearcation”: There are options between settling for yet another staycation and an epic, cross-country road trip that would bust your budget. It’s the “nearcation.” Think about places closer to home yet far enough away to feel like a bona fide journey.
In the skies
A Boeing 737-932ER operated by Delta takes off from JFK International Airport. AAA says only about 7% of people traveling for the July 4 holiday will be flying.
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images/File
While the roads will be packed, fewer Americans will be flying for the holiday, AAA expects.
It said the 3.55 million people…
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