Jun 28, 2024 - Travel

The best and worst July Fourth travel times in D.C.

Cuneyt Dil

Illustration of a rolling suitcase taped to a propelling rocket firework. — Illustration: Megan Robinson/Axios

More than 1.8 million Washington-area folks are expected to travel this Fourth of July week, according to AAA.

The big picture: There are some dos and don'ts to avoid headaches during the holiday travel frenzy when nearly 71 million Americans are expected to hit the roads or skies.

Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport travelers can reserve parking spaces online, and you should act quickly. The FAA predicted June 27 to be the busiest travel day of the year so far, but the TSA warns travel may peak on Friday.

For car travelers, peak congestion in the D.C. area is expected to be on Monday, July 8 at 3:15pm, per INRIX, a traffic analytics company cited by AAA.

Regular gas prices nationally are down about 11 cents from last year, while D.C.'s average of $3.49 a gallon is a penny less, AAA says.

Zoom in: The best day for minimal traffic is Monday, July 1. Here are the next best and worst times for driving, per INRIX and AAA:

Tuesday, 7/2:

Best: After 7pm
Worst: 2-6pm

Wednesday, 7/3:

Best: Before noon
Worst: 2-7pm

Thursday, 7/4:

Best: Before noon
Worst: 2-7pm

Friday, 7/5:

Best: Before 10am
Worst: 11am-4pm

Saturday, 7/6:

Best: Before 10am
Worst: 10:30am-2:30pm

Sunday, 7/7:

Best: Before 11am
Worst: 2-8pm

Monday, 7/8:

Best: After 7pm
Worst: 1-5pm

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The best and worst July Fourth travel times in D.C.

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