4th Of July 2018: Worst Illinois Travel Times

CHICAGO, IL — If you're hitting the road for the 4th of July, the worst possible time you could do so is during the Tuesday evening commute, according to AAA. The organization said commute times are expected to nearly double on "Terrible Tuesday," as a record-breaking 46.9 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home to celebrate Independence Day. That's an increase of more than 5 percent from last year and the highest since AAA started tracking holiday travel 18 years ago. The organization estimates 39.7 million Americans are planning a 4th of July road trip.

To be more specific, AAA expects the worst time for travel to be between 4 and 6 p.m. in the Chicago area. The Illinois Tollway estimates 4.7 million cars will hit local roads for the holiday, also predicting the heaviest travel will be Tuesday, when 1.9 cars are expected.

A record-breaking 3.8 million Americans will also travel by air, a nearly 8 percent increase over last year, according to AAA.

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“This Independence Day will be one for the record books, as more Americans take to the nation’s roads, skies, rails and waterways than ever before,” said Bill Sutherland, senior vice president, AAA Travel and Publishing.

Gas prices

Gas prices have been falling steadily since the 2018 high of $2.97 per gallon set over Memorial Day. Since then, the national average has dropped to $2.86 per gallon, which is still nearly 60 cents more than it was a year ago and the highest 4th of July gas prices in four years, AAA said. In Illinois, the average is (of course) higher at $2.93 per gallon.

AAA doesn't expect the higher gas price to affect 4th of July travel much, though.

Metra 4th of July schedule

If you're traveling by train, remember that kids ride Metra for free all summer long. Metra will also kick off the 4th of July celebration with early "getaway trains" on Tuesday.

Most Metra lines will add and shift train departures to better accommodate the rush of passengers who typically leave work early before a holiday. More detailed information about added service and schedule changes can be found here.

Metra will operate a Sunday/holiday schedule on Wednesday, July 4, meaning the Heritage Corridor, North Central Service and SouthWest Service lines will not operate. On Wednesday night, the UP North Line will hold inbound Train 826 until 10:25 p.m., 15 minutes later than scheduled, to accommodate passengers attending the Naval Station Great Lakes 4th of July Celebration.

Metra is also offering a special $10 holiday pass good for unlimited travel on July 4. The pass can be purchased with cash on the train or via the Ventra App, which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play. As always, Metra’s $10 Weekend Pass offers unlimited rides on Saturday and Sunday. And, throughout the summer, up to three kids 11 and under can ride free with each adult.

Photo: Traffic is seen along Interstate 90. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)