By Jim Turner and Tom Urban | News Service of Florida
A slight increase in Floridians taking to the roads is expected for the upcoming Independence Day holiday, even with inflation up and pump prices across the state higher than a year ago.
AAA projected 4.62 million Floridians will travel at least 50 miles for the holiday period, 1 percent more than in 2025 and about 4.3 percent more than in 2024.
The auto club, which evaluates the holiday period from June 27 through July 5 in its projections, attributed the increase to strong consumer demand offsetting higher travel costs.
“Travel costs are higher than last year. Vacations, though, are one category where consumers are still willing to spend the money,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins. “For many families, traveling for Independence Day is more than just a trip. It’s a tradition.”
Still, some vacations may be shorter than in the past, with destinations closer to home and cutbacks in spending on some dining out and souvenirs.
“You can travel without breaking the bank,” Jenkins said. “There are many travelers who are doing that. They are finding ways to offset additional costs, whether that’s driving instead of flying, traveling closer to home, staying fewer days, or booking a less expensive hotel room.”
Of the Florida travelers, 4.08 million are expected to do all their traveling by car. Air travel is expected to attract 329,326 Floridians, down from 329,762 in 2025. Meanwhile, 214,265 Floridians are lumped into a category called “other,” which includes the use of boats, buses and trains for their travel. The “other” category is up 5 percent from 2025, mostly due to increased demand for cruise ship travel.
“All-inclusive resorts and cruises allow you to kind of know what the price is going to be, right up front,” Jenkins said.
The expected skimping on holiday costs comes as inflation in the U.S. recently accelerated to 4.2 percent, the highest rate in three years primarily on energy and gas costs, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Also, gas prices continue to be elevated from the past couple of years even while declining the past several weeks as the White House promotes a framework to bring the war with Iran to a close and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil tanker traffic.
The per gallon average stood at $3.74 in Florida on Wednesday. The average for Florida stood at $3.11 in 2025, $3.53 in 2024, $3.26 in 2023 and $4.54 in 2022.
Meanwhile, traffic on Florida’s roads and airports will be augmented by people traveling from other states.
Nationally, 72.2 million people are expected to travel more than 50 miles, up 0.5 percent from last year of which 61.4 million are to travel by air, up 0.2 percent from 2025.
Orlando, Miami and Fort Lauderdale are among the top U.S. destinations, according to AAA. Other top destinations include Chicago, New York, and Anchorage, with Seattle at the top of the list.
Jenkins advises motorists to anticipate increased traffic throughout the period around theme parks and near beaches.