As we approach the Fourth of July, the holiday travel surge is set to begin this weekend, with AAA projecting around 72 million individuals to travel during this period despite ongoing airport challenges and high gas prices.

This year, AAA is predicting more people to travel than ever before for Independence Day.

At Savannah-Hilton Head Airport, Saturday is projected to break records as the busiest day ever, with the highest number of seats available on a single day in the airport’s history. Officials anticipate nearly 18,000 passengers to pass through on that day.

Additionally, AAA predicts over 2 million Georgia residents will be driving to their destinations and almost 164,000 will be flying. In total, nearly 2.5 million people will be traveling during the extended holiday period from June 28 to July 6. To steer clear of traffic jams and delays, it is advised to embark on your journey early in the morning, especially on July 2 and July 6, when congestion is expected to be at its worst.

For those driving, you should prepare early, avoid peak travel times and check gas prices which are around 2.95 a gallon right now. AAA responded to nearly 700,000 roadside assistance calls last July 4th week alone, so drivers should check their vehicles and pack an emergency kit before hitting the road. AAA shares the best travel times will be mornings before 12 p.m.

“You’re right. Every year we say there is record breaking numbers for us here in Georgia. The numbers are higher than what they’ve ever been before, but we are only seeing like a 2% increase in that number from last year,” said Montrae Waiters, a AAA spokeswoman.

With a 9% travel increase for Americans since 2019, Savannah travelers should expect delays.

Nationally, 61 million Americans will drive which is an all-time high. At the same time, nearly 6 million will fly. Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta is bracing for over 4 million travelers alone during the holiday week.

Airport officials say that this holiday period is expected to see a 10% increase in travel over last year’s. That’s a big record for Savannah and foreshadowing just how busy this week will be.