PORTLAND — Roads will be congested like never before this Independence Day with record-breaking travel expected for the holiday, according to the American Automobile Association.

AAA predicts that 50.7 million Americans will travel for the holiday, a 3.7% increase from pre-pandemic levels, breaking the previous record of 49 million in 2019.

“Most travelers will take a good old American road trip over the 4th of July holiday,” AAA Oregon/Idaho Public Affairs Director Marie Dodds said in a press release. “Traveling by car tends to provide the greatest flexibility and predictability, and can often be cheaper than traveling by other modes.”

The projections from AAA show that 15.1% of the entire American population is expected to travel for Independence Day, while approximately 7.2% of Oregon’s population will hit the road. That comes out to about 587,000 Oregonians taking the trip for the USA’s birthday.

During the record-breaking year in 2019, approximately 41.5 million Americans traveled by automobile, 3.5 million traveled by air, and another 3.5 million used another method of transportation. Due to the severe drop in travel from COVID-19, travelers have thus far been wary to get back on the road, with only 48.7 million Americans making the trip in 2022, the closest it has been to pre-pandemic levels to date.

As Independence Day approaches, AAA predicts that 460,000 Oregonians will travel by automobile and 84,000 will fly.

A steep drop in gasoline prices has encouraged even more Americans to travel this year, with gas prices down almost $1 per gallon from the same time in 2022.

With travel soaring past pre-pandemic levels this Independence Day, domestic hotel prices only slightly increased from last year with rental cars experiencing a drop in price. AAA reports that rental car rates have decreased by 18% this year, with the average lowest rate now at $90 per day in contrast with $110 from 2022.

According to AAA, the organization is expecting to receive roughly 8,000 calls from Oregonians for road assistance this Independence Day weekend. The top issues involve dead batteries, flat tires and lockouts.

AAA always urges caution when traveling.

“Whenever you’re in your car, but especially when on the road traveling, make sure to always take your basic survival kit” Dodds said. “Always ask yourself: if I get stranded for several hours, or worse, if I have to spend the night in the car with my family, do I have enough water, food and clothing to make it through the night, maybe even a few nights?”

The official Independence Day holiday travel period is defined as June 30 through July 4. AAA predicts the busiest days of travel will take place on the June 29 and June 30 before Independence Day.