With the Fourth of July falling on a Friday, Americans are taking advantage of the long weekend. AAA estimates 72 million people are traveling at least 50 miles for the holiday, which is 1.7 million more than last year.

Washington

A record number of Americans are traveling for the Fourth of July holiday, with AAA estimating 72 million people journeying at least 50 miles from home. This figure is 1.7 million higher than the previous year, marking a significant increase in holiday travel.

Airports and highways across the country are experiencing heavy traffic, with Nashville International Airport noted as particularly busy. Around 60 million people are expected to travel by car, benefiting from the lowest gas prices since 2021. Airlines anticipate their busiest days as travelers return home after the holiday period, and some delays have been reported, particularly in cities like Chicago.

Record-breaking travel expected for Fourth of July

Now, 4th of July falls on a Friday this year, as you know, and many folks around you are taking advantage of the long weekend, as they should. AAA estimates a record-breaking 72 million people are traveling at least 50 miles over the holiday period, and that's 1.7 million more people than last year. Let's cross over now to Nashville, Tennessee. CBS News correspondent Nicole Valdez is there. You're not enjoying any grills, you're not enjoying the sun, but you are keeping an eye on the airports for us, which we appreciate. Nicole, how do things look where you are? Errol, decently busy here at Nashville International, despite the fact that we are already celebrating the holiday. This is a major summer destination for millions of Americans. In fact, a huge celebration happening on Broadway tonight called Let Freedom Sing, and it is a event expected to have more than 250,000 people packing the road there. So as you can see, we've got some people leaving Nashville, some people coming in. Overall, the FAA is looking at a potential 35,000 flights expected to still be taking off and heading somewhere today, but what you might really notice are those who are trying to drive to their destinations, and a really record number, 60 million people are expected to hit the road for this 4th of July, and good news for them, gas prices are at the lowest they've been since 2021, so you're gonna get to fill up your tank and get a lot further with that gas. And Nicole, I know you mentioned Broadway. They're in Nashville. It's also known as the Honky Tonk Highway because of the country music and the culture there, just in case folks get confused with New York. So how do things look across the country then? Because where you are in the country, flights are coming in and out. I'm just checking flightaware.com. Chicago is having some delays, but what should people expect throughout the weekend? Well, it looks like several airlines, including United and American, really think Sunday is going to be their busiest travel day, really of the entire summer. A record amount of people expected to be traveling back home after the holiday weekend, so what you really wanna make sure is that you are checking your flight details, you are hitting the road earlier in the morning because there is definitely the chance for some delays later on that night with so many people trying to get back home for the start of the workweek. Yeah, that's right. All right, Nicole, we appreciate you and the crew being out there. If you're traveling through Nashville and you see our crew, hand them a snack. They're working hard this holiday weekend. Nicole, thanks so much.

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