Jul 1, 2025 - News

July 4 travel: Best and worst times to hit the road and runways in Denver

An American flag waves in the wind as a Southwest Airlines aircraft travels en route to Denver. Photo: Kevin Carter/Getty Images

Record-breaking July 4 travel is expected to clog Denver's streets and skies — so plan ahead.

The big picture: More than 72 million people across the U.S. are expected to travel 50+ miles during the Independence Day stretch from June 28 through Sunday, per AAA data.

That's up 1.7 million from last year, and 7 million more than pre-pandemic 2019.

State of play: Denver ranks among the top 10 most in-demand cities for summer travel, AAA data shows.

It's also in the top five for car rentals alongside Boston; Oahu, Hawai'i; Seattle; and Orlando, Florida.

🚗 Vroom in: With over 61 million drivers anticipated — the most on record for the holiday — these are the best/worst times to drive.

Worst days: Wednesday (noon-9pm) and Sunday (noon-6pm).
Worst times: Afternoons — congestion peaks.
Best bet: Leave in the morning (ideally before 11am).

The intrigue: The best time to return to Denver on Interstate 25 south is 6:30pm on Saturday, per AAA.

✈️ Take-off tips: Denver International Airport expects more than 900,000 passengers to move through its security checkpoints by next Monday — on par with last year. The busiest day is likely Sunday.

Travelers can make a reservation at the West Security Checkpoint for a smoother experience.
Parking is expected to be tight — so book ahead, or better yet, take the RTD A-line. Real-time parking updates are available online.

Add Axios on Google

July 4 travel: Best and worst times to hit the road and runways in Denver

More Denver stories