ATLANTA — If you are heading out of town this Fourth of July, millions are expected to hit the roads and take to the skies.
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport said it expects nearly four million passengers to travel to, from, or through its doors alone from Thursday, June 27 until Monday, July 8.
What if I'm flying?
Projections from Atlanta's airport indicate that Friday, June 28, will be the busiest day, with over 367,000 passengers. More than 364,000 are expected July 7-8.
If you are heading to the airport, be sure to arrive at least two and a half hours before the scheduled departure time. If your flight is international, you will want to make that three hours ahead.
To save time, airport officials encourage passengers to thoroughly check their luggage beforehand to make sure they are not bringing prohibited items that could get them stopped at TSA.
What if I'm driving?
AAA projects that 60.6 million people will travel by car over Independence Day week, an additional 2.8 million compared to last year.
Below is a breakdown of what time you can expect the most and least traffic.
Tuesday, July 2
- Worst time: 2-6 p.m.
- Best time: After 7 p.m.
Wednesday, July 3
- Worst time: 2-7 p.m.
- Best time: Before noon
Thursday, July 4
- Worst time: 2-7 p.m.
- Best time: Before noon
Friday, July 5
- Worst time: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Best time: Before 10 a.m.
Saturday, July 6
- Worst time: 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
- Best time: Before 10 a.m.
Sunday, July 7
- Worst time: 2-8 p.m.
- Best time: Before 11 a.m.
Monday, July 8
- Worst time: 1-5 p.m.
- Best time: After 7 p.m.
In addition, I-20 from Birmingham to Atlanta is expected to be one of the most congested stretches in the country, with an estimated travel time of over 3.5 hours on Sunday, July 7.