JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Travelers are getting ready to hit the roadways and pack airports for the Fourth of July.
The holiday is expected to break records both on the road and in the sky. AAA predicts close to 71 million people will travel between Wednesday and next Tuesday.
For those choosing to drive, any time up until noon Wednesday is the best time to leave. AAA says the worst time to drive on Wednesday is between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday follows the same pattern, but on Friday, the best time to drive is any time before 10 a.m. The worst time to drive Friday is between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
AAA anticipates 60.5 million people will take a road trip for the Fourth of July, which is almost 3 million more than last year. In Florida, close to 4 million people are expected to drive.
AAA predicts about 6 million travelers will take a flight, which would break a Fourth of July record. This comes after TSA set a record last week when almost 3 million people were screened across the country in a single day.
About 10,000 to 12,000 people were going through TSA on Tuesday at Jacksonville International Airport ahead of the holiday, and TSA agents expect that number to increase.
JAX Marketing Manager Greg Willis recommended travelers arrive at least two hours before their flights to give them enough time to find a parking spot, check bags and get through TSA.
The airport also opened Economy Lot 3 to provide 800 additional parking spaces.
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“If you’re flying in a few hours, check our website or look on X because we’ll post closures on those spaces. If you’re driving, we’ll post closures on monument signs as you enter the airport, but it really does vary by hour and by day,” Willis said.
Willis also recommended checking the TSA website to see what items are prohibited.
“I would recommend not bringing fireworks through TSA, nor firearms,” Willis said.