{"id":380837,"date":"2026-06-30T16:27:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T16:27:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/380837\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T16:27:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T16:27:11","slug":"ca-fourth-of-july-2026-travel-best-and-worst-times-to-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/380837\/","title":{"rendered":"CA Fourth of July 2026 travel: Best and worst times to drive"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you\u2019re planning a backyard barbecue, a beach trip or a long weekend getaway, be prepared to encounter millions of travelers<\/a> on California roads this Fourth of July.<\/p>\n

With Independence Day landing on Saturday<\/a>, July 4, in 2026, holiday travel is expected to reach record levels<\/a> nationwide, according to AAA.<\/p>\n

AAA released a nine-day travel forecast looking at those planning weeklong vacations as well as shorter holiday weekend trips through Sunday, July 5.<\/p>\n

\"Westbound Westbound traffic on Interstate 80 slows down on the Yolo Causeway in 2019. Xavier Mascare\u00f1as Sacramento Bee file <\/p>\n

\u201cFor many Americans, traveling the week of July 4th<\/a> is tradition,\u201d Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA travel, said in the release. \u201cWhile the overall number of Independence Day travelers appears to be plateauing, we\u2019re still expecting record volumes this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re planning to hit the road<\/a> during the Fourth of July in California, here\u2019s when traffic is expected to be at its worst:<\/p>\n

BEHIND THE STORY MORE <\/a> Why we did this story <\/p>\n

Our community-driven series \u2014 How to California \u2014 is here to answer your questions<\/a> about state laws, history, culture, recreation and travel in the Golden State. <\/p>\n

McClatchy\u2019s service journalism team, focused on helping our readers navigate daily life, works in communities across the state, including San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Merced, Modesto and Sacramento. <\/p>\n

Ask us your questions \u2014 big and small \u2014 by emailing howtocalifornia@mcclatchy.com<\/a> or filling out a form here. <\/a><\/p>\n

How many people are expected to travel for Independence Day 2026?<\/p>\n

AAA said an estimated 72.2 million people will travel<\/a> at least 50 miles from home through Sunday, July 5.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year\u2019s domestic travel forecast surpasses last year\u2019s record of 71.8 million<\/a> travelers, but the increase is smaller than recent year-over-year gains,\u201d AAA said in a June 17 news release.<\/p>\n

\"Despite Despite high gas prices, traveling by car is still cheaper than air travel in California, according to AAA. Circle K How expensive are Fourth of July gas prices in California?<\/p>\n

According to AAA, about \u201c85% of Americans traveling for Independence Day<\/a> are expected to drive to their destinations, despite gas prices reaching four-year highs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Approximately 61.4 million people are expected to travel by car during the holiday weekend.<\/p>\n

As of Monday, June 29, the average price for a gallon of regular gas in California<\/a> was about $5.46 \u2014 about $1.60 more than the national average of $3.86<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to AAA, the cheapest gas in California<\/a> could be found in Sutter County, where regular gas cost about $5.17 per gallon on average.<\/p>\n

The highest price was in Mono County, where gas was averaging roughly $6.74 per gallon.<\/p>\n

Drivers can check the AAA website for current fuel prices<\/a> in their area.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite higher gas prices<\/a>, filling up the tank during a road trip is still cheaper than purchasing flights for many travelers, especially for families with kids,\u201d AAA said.<\/p>\n

\"About About 5.9 million travelers will fly domestically over Independence Day weekend in 2026,\u00a0according to AAA. HANNAH RUHOFF hruhoff@sacbee.com How much do flights cost for Independence Day 2026?<\/p>\n

About 5.9 million travelers will fly domestically over Independence Day weekend, making air travel about 8% of holiday trips, according to AAA.<\/p>\n

On average, roundtrip tickets to domestic destinations are about 5% more expensive compared to Fourth of July 2025, with average fares around $830.<\/p>\n

What are the worst days to drive for Fourth of July 2026?<\/p>\n

According to AAA, these are the worst days and times to hit the road<\/a> in California during Independence Day weekend:<\/p>\n

Tuesday, June 30 \u2014 3 to 6 p.m.Wednesday, July 1 \u2014 Noon to 9 p.m.Thursday, July 2 \u2014 2 to 6 p.m.Friday, July 3 \u2014 Noon to 7 p.m.Saturday, July 4 \u2014 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Sunday, July 5 \u2014 Noon to 6 p.m.When are the best times to drive for Independence Day 2026?<\/p>\n

AAA said these are the best days and times to drive<\/a> for the Fourth of July weekend in 2026:<\/p>\n

Tuesday, June 30 \u2014 Before 2 p.m.Wednesday, July 1 \u2014 Before noonThursday, July 2 \u2014 Before noonFriday, July 3 \u2014 Before 11 a.m.Saturday, July 4 \u2014 After 3 p.m.Sunday, July 5 \u2014 Before 11 a.m. Have a question about life in California?<\/p>\n

How to California \u2014 a guide to help you live, work and enjoy life in the Golden State, is here to help.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll answer your questions \u2014 big and small \u2014 about state laws, history, culture, recreation and travel.<\/p>\n

Ask your questions in the form below (can\u2019t see it? Click here<\/a>) or email howtocalifornia@mcclatchy.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Angela Rodriguez<\/a><\/p>\n

The Modesto Bee<\/p>\n

Angela Rodriguez is a service journalism reporter for The Bee. She is a graduate of Sacramento State with a bachelor\u2019s degree in journalism. During her time there, she worked on the State Hornet covering arts and entertainment.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Whether you\u2019re planning a backyard barbecue, a beach trip or a long weekend getaway, be prepared to encounter…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":380838,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8],"class_list":["post-380837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=380837"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380837\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/380838"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=380837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=380837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=380837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}