Record Number Of People Expected To Travel For Fourth Of July Holiday

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A record-setting 46.9 million Americans are expected to hit the roads, rails and sky for the Fourth of July holiday.

That's the highest number since AAA started tracking those numbers almost 20 years ago. AAA says the vast majority, nearly 40 million, will be traveling by car, a 5.3% increase from last year.

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Travel experts say to expect the busiest day of travel to be Tuesday afternoon as many leave work early ahead of the holiday Wednesday.

If you are driving, gas prices are lower than what many saw during Memorial Day this year. The national average is $2.84 a gallon, which is 60 cents less than last year.

Some drivers started their road trips before dawn Friday, hoping to beat the gridlock.

"Start out early in the morning about 5:00, we left and trying to go all the way from here to Long Island and this is the time to do it," said East Orange, New Jersey resident Richard Thomas.

"No one wants to be stuck in traffic," said Warren, New Jersey resident Mike Pompa.

For those traveling by plane, AAA is predicting 3.76 million will be flying for the holiday, which they say would break the record of passengers and crew flying on a single day, set back during Thanksgiving of 2004.

The Frazier family is ditching New Jersey to spend Independence Day on vacation in Disney World. TSA officials said they are among more than 141,000 people traveling through Newark Airport Friday alone, CBS2's Janelle Burrell reported.

That's why officials are urging people to arrive for their flights early -- two hours ahead for domestic flights and three hours for international travel.