AAA projects 42.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this Independence Day holiday, a 4.9-percent increase compared to the 40.3 million people who traveled last year. The expected 2012 Independence Day holiday travel volume will tie the past decade’s previous high mark set in 2007 and represents a near 42-percent increase from 2009. The Independence Day holiday travel period is defined as Tuesday, July 3 to Sunday, July 8.

Since July 4 falls on a Wednesday, the calendar will play a role in holiday travel volume as the mid-week holiday expands the traditional travel period to six days and provides the option of including a weekend and two week days on either side of the actual holiday. When asked about day of departure, 54 percent of people intending to travel this holiday plan to begin their trip prior to the start of the work-week that includes July 4. Response percentages by trip departure day are:

• 25 percent – Friday, June 29

• 16 percent – Saturday, June 30

• 13 percent – Sunday, July 1

• 11 percent – Monday, July 2

• 19 percent – Tuesday, July 3

• 16 percent – Wednesday, July 4

Approximately 35.5 million people plan to travel by automobile, setting the highest mark for the decade, as 84 percent of all Independence Day holiday travelers choose this traditionally dominate mode of transportation. This is a 4-percent increase compared to the 34.1 million people who traveled by automobile last year.

The price of gasoline is one of the factors expected to play a role in spurring intentions to travel this Independence Day holiday period. In Washington, gas prices have dropped below the $4 mark to $3.96 per gallon. This decrease adds up to a 28-cent drop in the past month, but prices are still a dime higher than this time last year. The current national average is $3.50 per gallon. Northwest travelers can expect gas prices in neighboring states to be: Idaho $3.76, Oregon $3.93, California $3.98 and Montana $3.71.

Slightly more than 3.2 million leisure travelers (8 percent of holiday travelers) will fly during the Independence Day holiday period, a 9-percent increase compared to the 2.9 million air travelers in 2011. This year’s increase is the third consecutive year of rising Independence Day holiday air travel volume, following the decade low 1.4 million air travelers in 2009. Airfares are flat year-over-year with an average round-trip rate of $200 for the top 40 U.S. air routes in both 2011 and 2012. A longer holiday period and stable airfares are spurring this increase.

The remaining 8 percent of holiday travelers are expected to use other modes of transportation, including rail, bus and cruise ship, accounting for 3.6 million travelers – a 10-percent increase compared to last year and the second highest volume in the past 10 years.

Independence Day holiday hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to increase 4-percent from a year ago with travelers spending an average of $164 per night compared to $157 last year. Travelers planning to stay at AAA Two Diamond hotels can expect to pay nine percent more at an average cost of $120 per night. Weekend daily car rental rates will average $40, a nine percent decrease from one year ago.

According to a survey of intended travelers, the average distance traveled by Americans during the Independence Day holiday weekend is expected to be 723 miles, up 150 miles from last year’s average of 573 miles. The increase in expected air travel is a factor in lifting the average travel distance as air trips typically span a longer distance than automobile trips.