San Diegans can expect a 10% boost in airport passenger traffic this week ahead of the Fourth of July holiday to notch another record-level of travel across Southern California, according to forecasts from the airport and the Automobile Club of Southern California.
San Diego International Airport expects that 800,000 passengers will arrive and depart from the airport from this Sunday through July 6.
The busiest travel days at the airport are expected to be this Monday, Thursday and July 5, according to airport spokesperson Nicole Hall.
Hall encouraged passengers to plan ahead by checking their flight status for potential delays, making parking reservations if needed and arriving two hours before departure. For those opting for public transit, the airport offers a free electric shuttle, the San Diego Flyer, which runs between the Old Town Transit Center and the airport’s Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
“What we really encourage people to do when they’re planning to come to the airport is, just know what you have to do on your journey,” Hall said. “Give yourself enough time.”
San Francisco, Denver, Phoenix, Seattle and Las Vegas are some of the most popular air travel destinations during the Fourth of July holiday, according to the airport.
The Automobile Club of Southern California is projecting that 5.48 million Southern Californians will travel at least 50 miles from home over Fourth of July week — an increase of 0.5% from last year’s record-setting numbers, and an 8% increase from 2019 before the COVID pandemic.
“Ever since the pandemic, we have been seeing more and more people traveling for these big holidays,” said AAA spokesperson Anlleyn Venegas. “When those restrictions were completely gone, people were just deciding, I’m going to travel, I’m going to make it work and I’m going to make it happen — even with high gas prices.”
San Diego is one of the most popular travel destinations for Southern Californians, along with Las Vegas, the Central Coast, the Grand Canyon and Palm Springs, according to Venegas.
“People love coming to our city, our county,” Venegas said of San Diego. “There’s so much to do here, and a lot of those experiences don’t cost money. They can go to the beach, they can go hiking, they can do outdoor activities.”
One of the two busiest routes in Southern California during Fourth of July week will likely be San Diego to Palm Springs via northbound Interstate 15 on Wednesday at 6:15 p.m., according to AAA forecasts. The route is expected to have a 67% greater travel time than during normal conditions.
Venegas advised San Diego residents to leave early, especially if traveling on Thursday, or to leave another day if they plan on traveling in the afternoon. She cautioned against attempting to avoid heavier traffic by traveling via car at night when drivers may be drowsy. She also noted that Fourth of July falls within what she called the “100 deadliest days of summer” for traffic fatalities between Memorial Day and Labor Day, particularly among teen drivers.
Driving remains the most popular form of transportation by far, with 4.33 million Southern Californians expected to travel by car. However, the number of residents traveling by car or plane is expected to stay relatively consistent with previous years, AAA said, while other forms of transportation, such as cruises, buses and trains, are forecasted to see a 4.6% increase over last year.
Venegas attributed the increased interest in alternative forms of transportation to high gas prices, as well as a recent trend in cruises as an easy way to travel with family that requires less planning.
