4th of July Outlook 2025

With Independence Day right around the corner, Americans are gearing up for another long summer weekend! This year the 4th of July falls on a Friday, making it convenient for travelers to kick off long weekend trips on Wednesday or Thursday before the holiday.  Thursday, July 3rd will be the busiest day to leave on a long weekend trip, with more than 3.7 million seats scheduled to depart. Sunday and Monday following the holiday will be busy for travelers returning from a weekend away, with 3.8 million seats currently scheduled to depart on each day. 

This Independence Day weekend is scheduled to be busier than last year with 4.2% more flights scheduled  to depart, carrying 2.4% more seats than over the same Wednesday to Monday period last year. In total, more than 21 million seats are scheduled to depart US airports from Wednesday, July 2nd through Monday July 7th. 

Travelers hitting the skies over the long weekend should plan to be at the airport early to avoid longer than usual lines due to the increased holiday traffic. The busiest airports for departing passengers over the long weekend will be Atlanta, Dallas Fort-Worth and Denver.

Airfare

Airfare for domestic trips this 4th of July weekend is averaging $260 per round trip flight, down 3% or about $8 compared to the holiday weekend last year. Prices are the lowest domestic travelers have seen in 4 years! 

Travelers looking to kick off an international trip over Independence Day weekend are in luck as airfare to almost all regions of the world has declined compared to this time last year. Fares to Europe are averaging $840 per round tip ticket, down 13% compared to this time last year. Fares to Oceania and Asia are down 13% too, with airfare to Oceania at $1,290 per ticket and fares to Asia $1,367 per ticket. 

Accommodations

Hotel rates for 4th of July weekend are averaging $213 per night while vacation rentals are averaging about $539 per night ($227 per room per night). Holiday weekends like 4th of July are a great opportunity to score last minute hotel deals, especially in cities that empty out for the weekend. If you’re looking to have a staycation, book at the last minute (within 24 hrs of check in) to get the lowest hotel prices! 

Rental Cars

Car rentals for 4th of July weekend are averaging $58 per day this year, about $10 per day higher than the average for summer. Travelers who are planning a road trip over the holiday weekend should plan ahead by reserving a rental car as early as possible since it’s likely to be a busy weekend.

Top Destinations for 4th of July Getaways

These destinations are the most popular among travelers searching for trips that kick off over the long holiday weekend! Travelers staying in the US are headed to major cities like New York, Seattle, Miami, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. International travelers are using the long weekend to kick off larger trips to top destinations around Europe and Asia. 

4th of July Weekend Travel Tips

• Check big cities for last-minute hotel deals: Hotels in big cities will typically lower prices as check in approaches and they are looking to fill empty rooms. Booking in the last 12-48 hours before check in can usually save travelers significantly on a weekend or weekday stay. Book a last-minute getaway or staycation and save more. Pro tip: if you’re local to the area, you may be eligible for special geo-fenced rates available to local guests.

• Take advantage of re-booking services: The last thing you want is for your trip to be derailed by delays and cancellations. For busy holiday weekends this summer, we recommend adding a re-booking service like Disruption Assistance offered on Hopper and other travel providers. When booking with this service, you can rebook your flight instantly, if you are delayed, canceled or you miss a connecting flight. 

• Take the first flight of the day: In general, flights departing after 9am are 2X more likely to be delayed than departures scheduled between 5-8am. To avoid travel disruption, fly as early in the morning as possible.

• Build in a buffer day: Don’t leave it to chance! Particularly for holiday weekends, it's always better to be safe by baking in an extra day to get to your destination. This way you’ll have some wiggle room, should any delays or disruptions interfere with your travel plans. 

Deals you can still book! 

• Boston, Massachusetts to Baltimore, Maryland for as low as $83 per round trip ticket

• Boston, Massachusetts to Atlanta, Georgia for as low as $110 per round trip ticket

• Boston, Massachusetts to Detroit, Michigan for as low as $112 per round trip ticket

• Boston, Massachusetts to Dublin, Ireland for as low as $420 per round trip ticket

• Boston, Massachusetts to Nice, France for as low as $463 per round trip ticket

• Boston, Massachusetts to Amsterdam, Netherlands for as low as $481 per round trip ticket

• Boston, Massachusetts to San Salvador, El Salvador for as low as $239 per round trip ticket

• Boston, Massachusetts to Guatemala City, Guatemala for as low as $298 per round trip ticket

• Boston, Massachusetts to Ponce, Puerto Rico for as low as $305 per round trip ticket

• New York City, New York to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for as low as $75 per round trip ticket

• New York City, New York to Charleston, South Carolina for as low as $95 per round trip ticket

• New York City, New York to Detroit, Michigan for as low as $95 per round trip ticket

• New York City, New York to Dublin, Ireland for as low as $420 per round trip ticket

• New York City, New York to Valencia, Spain for as low as $504 per round trip ticket

• New York City, New York to Pisa, Italy for as low as $518 per round trip ticket

• New York City, New York to San Juan, Puerto Rico for as low as $260 per round trip ticket

• New York City, New York to Guatemala City, Guatemala for as low as $270 per round trip ticket

• New York City, New York to San Salvador, El Salvador for as low as $304 per round trip ticket

• Miami, Florida to Orlando, Florida for as low as $95 per round trip ticket

• Miami, Florida to Nashville, Tennessee for as low as $108 per round trip ticket

• Miami, Florida to Tampa, Florida for as low as $110 per round trip ticket

• Miami, Florida to London, United Kingdom for as low as $661 per round trip ticket

• Miami, Florida to Malaga, Spain for as low as $690 per round trip ticket

• Miami, Florida to Milan, Italy for as low as $721 per round trip ticket

• Miami, Florida to San Juan, Puerto Rico for as low as $200 per round trip ticket

• Miami, Florida to Christiansted, United States Virgin Islands for as low as $209 per round trip ticket

• Miami, Florida to Saint Thomas Island, United States Virgin Islands for as low as $223 per round trip ticket

• Dallas, Texas to Las Vegas, Nevada for as low as $110 per round trip ticket

• Dallas, Texas to Atlanta, Georgia for as low as $114 per round trip ticket

• Dallas, Texas to Los Angeles, California for as low as $136 per round trip ticket

• Dallas, Texas to Zurich, Switzerland for as low as $890 per round trip ticket

• Dallas, Texas to Madrid, Spain for as low as $920 per round trip ticket

• Dallas, Texas to Frankfurt, Germany for as low as $930 per round trip ticket

• Dallas, Texas to San Juan, Puerto Rico for as low as $260 per round trip ticket

• Dallas, Texas to Guatemala City, Guatemala for as low as $306 per round trip ticket

• Dallas, Texas to Saint Thomas Island, United States Virgin Islands for as low as $321 per round trip ticket

• Chicago, Illinois to Las Vegas, Nevada for as low as $110 per round trip ticket

• Chicago, Illinois to Atlanta, Georgia for as low as $120 per round trip ticket

• Chicago, Illinois to Newark, New Jersey for as low as $122 per round trip ticket

• Chicago, Illinois to Stockholm, Sweden for as low as $572 per round trip ticket

• Chicago, Illinois to Reykjavik, Iceland for as low as $613 per round trip ticket

• Chicago, Illinois to Rome, Italy for as low as $644 per round trip ticket

• Chicago, Illinois to Cancun, Mexico for as low as $272 per round trip ticket

• Chicago, Illinois to Guatemala City, Guatemala for as low as $276 per round trip ticket

• Chicago, Illinois to San Juan, Puerto Rico for as low as $290 per round trip ticket

• Los Angeles, California to Las Vegas, Nevada for as low as $80 per round trip ticket

• Los Angeles, California to San Francisco, California for as low as $120 per round trip ticket

• Los Angeles, California to Dallas, Texas for as low as $120 per round trip ticket

• Los Angeles, California to Milan, Italy for as low as $668 per round trip ticket

• Los Angeles, California to Stockholm, Sweden for as low as $692 per round trip ticket

• Los Angeles, California to Rome, Italy for as low as $694 per round trip ticket

• Los Angeles, California to Monterrey, Mexico for as low as $239 per round trip ticket

• Los Angeles, California to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico for as low as $292 per round trip ticket

• Los Angeles, California to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for as low as $301 per round trip ticket