Record-breaking travel expected in California this holiday weekend. Here’s how to prepare
Trying to flee the triple-digit heat this holiday weekend? You wouldn’t be alone, as millions of Californians are expected to hit the road or hop on a plane for Independence Day plans.
AAA predicts that the holiday week, extending from the Saturday before to the Sunday after the Fourth of July, will be a record-breaking period for travel in the U.S., with around 71 million Americans likely to drive or fly during the nine-day stretch.
The prediction marks a 5% increase from last year’s 67.4 million travelers during the Fourth of July holiday. AAA anticipates a 5% bump in California travelers as well, with more than 8.5 million Golden State residents expected to leave town.
“Californians are opting to take longer trips with Independence Day falling on a Thursday,” Brian Ng, the senior vice president of membership and travel marketing for AAA Northern California, said in a statement. “This further fuels summer travel demand that is showing no signs of slowing down.”
The California Highway Patrol warned residents to prepare for extra congestion on roadways, especially as high heat scorches the area.
“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 in the midst of a sweltering, weeklong heat wave and under an excessive heat warning that will be in place until 11 p.m. Tuesday. Daily high temperatures are expected to climb to at least 108 degrees each day through Sunday, according to the National Weather Service’s seven-day forecast.
CHP advised drivers to pack extra water as the heat wave continues. Additional officers will be patrolling the area through Sunday night.
What about air travel?
The federal Transportation Security Administration is prepping for a record-breaking amount of travelers this Independence Day weekend. It planned to screen more than 32 million people from June 27 through July 8. This would be 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,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement.
Despite the crowds, it said staff are prepared to meet security wait time expectations – 10 minutes or under for those with TSA PreCheck and 30 minutes or under for those in standard screening lines.
Sacramento International Airport forecasts that this July will also be one of the busiest months in its history.
“This summer we are serving more passengers than 2023 and more than 2019, which was our prior high-water mark,” Lindsay Myers, a spokesperson for the Sacramento County Department of Airports, said in an email. “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 SMF, she said, 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 said. “The best advice we give is to check traffic to the airport well in advance.”
