Millions of people across the country are expected to travel for the Fourth of July – AAA is projecting a record 72 million people will be on the road or in the sky. Of those, nearly six million people will be flying to their destinations to celebrate the holiday weekend.
In addition, AAA estimates those 72 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles for the weekend, in a date range from last Saturday to this Sunday.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reporter Kelsey Christensen was at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport early Thursday morning, and said there weren’t any cancellations as of 5:30 a.m., and only two delays. Security checkpoints were reporting a wait time of about 10 minutes.
A road trip is also a popular choice this year, or spending time at the cabin, as many Minnesotans and Wisconsinites do.
Of the roughly 72 million people expected to travel, nearly 62 million are expected to be traveling by vehicle – that’s an increase of two percent from last year, and the highest number on record. Gas is about 35 cents cheaper in Minnesota than at this time last year.
Wherever you’re traveling to, make sure to check the forecast. Minnesota’s Weather Authority has issued a Forecast First Alert for the Fourth of July due to a heat advisory, as well as storms expected around the time fireworks will be going off. CLICK HERE for the latest forecast.