Are you planning to escape the triple-digit heat this holiday weekend? You’re not alone, as millions of Californians are gearing up to hit the road or board a plane for Independence Day festivities.
Anticipated Travel Surge
AAA forecasts that the holiday week, from the Saturday before to the Sunday after the Fourth of July, will see a record-breaking travel period in the U.S. Around 71 million Americans are expected to drive or fly during this nine-day stretch.
This prediction represents a 5% increase from last year’s 67.4 million travelers during the Fourth of July holiday. AAA also anticipates a 5% rise in California travelers, with more than 8.5 million residents expected to travel.
“Californians are opting to take longer trips with Independence Day falling on a Thursday,” said Brian Ng, senior vice president of membership and travel marketing for AAA Northern California. “This further fuels summer travel demand that shows no signs of slowing down.”
Road Travel: What to Expect
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) has advised residents to prepare for increased congestion on roadways, especially as the area experiences extreme heat.
“The best thing to do is to plan ahead. Don’t rush. Don’t do anything last minute,” said Mark Leavitt, a spokesperson for the CHP’s South Sacramento office. “Make sure your vehicle is safe and ready to drive on the roadway.”
The Sacramento area is enduring a sweltering, weeklong heat wave and is under an excessive heat warning until 11 p.m. Tuesday. Daily high temperatures are expected to reach at least 108 degrees each day through Sunday, according to the National Weather Service’s seven-day forecast.
CHP advises drivers to pack extra water due to the heat wave. Additional officers will be patrolling the area through Sunday night.
Air Travel: Preparing for Crowds
The federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is preparing for a record-breaking number of travelers this Independence Day weekend, planning to screen more than 32 million people from June 27 through July 8. This marks a 5.4% increase over last year’s holiday weekend.
“We expect this summer to be our busiest ever, and summer travel usually peaks over the Independence Day holiday,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske.
Despite the anticipated crowds, the TSA assures that staff are prepared to meet security wait time expectations – 10 minutes or under for TSA PreCheck and 30 minutes or under for standard screening lines.
Sacramento International Airport expects July to be one of the busiest months in its history.
“This summer we are serving more passengers than in 2023 and more than in 2019, which was our prior high-water mark,” said Lindsay Myers, a spokesperson for the Sacramento County Department of Airports. “This weekend may end up being the busiest, but the entire month is going to be quite busy.”
So far, Wednesday has been a normal day at Sacramento International Airport, but passengers are advised to arrive at the airport two hours ahead of the scheduled boarding time.
The heat wave is not expected to cause any flight delays or cancellations at the airport.
“Please be patient and give yourself time,” Myers advised. “The best advice we give is to check traffic to the airport well in advance.”
