Fourth Of July: Worst Travel Time In Northern Virginia, DC

WASHINGTON, DC—More people than ever will travel to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday this year. AAA projects a record-breaking 48.9 million people will travel around the U.S. This includes over 1.2 million from the DC region.

The majority will be traveling by road. AAA expects travel volume overall to increase more than 4 percent compared to 2018, with 1.9 million more Americans taking a road trip or other type of vacation. That includes a record-high 41.4 million Americans who will be on the road, according to the analytics company INRIX. The company predicted drivers in major metro areas could see delays as much as four times as high as their normal commute. Wednesday, July, 3 is expected to be the worst day on the roads for the country as a whole.

DC and Northern Virginia travelers in particular should be wary of heading back after the weekend following July 4. The worst day will be Sunday, July 7 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., according to INRIX and AAA. During this two-hour window, travel times are expected to be more than doubled.

4th of July travel by the numbers in the DC region

• Automobile travel: 1,059,000 residents
• Air travel: 93,555 residents
• Other forms of travel: 64,353 residents
• Total travel: 1,217,000 residents

Lower gas prices and a strong economy are part of the reason more drivers are expected to be on the road this year, AAA said in a news release. The national average for gas prices was at $2.66, 19 cents cheaper than 2018, and that number was expected to drop further into the summer. The average price for Virginia is $2.45 compared to $2.60 at this time last year. DC's average price is $2.83 compared to $3.00 last year.

A word on travel from the Virginia Department of Transportation

VDOT has its own travel trends map to predict when congestion could happen around Fourth of July in Virginia. Based on historical data, VDOT expects moderate to heavy congestion between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 6 and Sunday, July 7.

Most Virginia highway work zones and most lane closures will be suspended on interstates and major roads from noon on Wednesday, July 3 to noon on Friday, July 5. Here's a list of lane closures that will happen.

In Northern Virginia, HOV restrictions will be lifted on I-66 and I-395 and rush hour tolls will be lifted on the 66 Express Lanes inside the Beltway on July 4. In Hampton Roads, HOV restrictions and express lanes tolls will be lifted on I-64/I-264/I-564 HOV Diamond Lanes and 64 Express Lanes on July 4. HOV restrictions are not enforced on Sundays, and 64 Express Lanes in Norfolk are free outside normal operating hours, including Sundays. For updates on the 495 and 95 Express Lanes operated by Transurban in Northern Virginia, visit www.expresslanes.com.

You can find real-time traffic conditions around Virginia at 511Virginia.org or through the free mobile app.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.