AAA: July 4 travel expected to climb to historic high

LAS VEGAS — AAA is projecting the highest travel volume on record for the upcoming Independence Day weekend, according to a release.

Between Friday and July 4, AAA projects 44.2 million Americans will travel nationwide, a nearly 3 percent increase from 2016.

In Carson City on Tuesday, Costco and Gas & Save had the lowest price for gas, $2.36 per gallon, according to gasbuddy.com

“Fourth of July is typically the busiest summer travel holiday, and this could go down as the most traveled holiday weekend ever,” Mike Blasky, spokesperson for AAA Nevada, said in the release.

The travel forecast includes:

The national fuel average is a few pennies below last year’s, and prices remain historically low for the summer travel season. More than 37.5 million Americans — nearly 85 percent of overall travelers — will drive to their Fourth of July destinations, an increase of 2.9 percent over last year.

Travel costs including airfare, car rentals and hotel are trending lower this year, which is contributing to the lift in air travel. More than 3.4 million Americans will take to the skies this Independence Day, increasing air travel by 4.6 percent over last year.

AAA also expects to rescue more than 338,000 motorists across the country over Independence Day weekend, with the primary reasons being lockouts, flat tires and battery-related issues, according to the release.