Fourth of July Travel Survey & Trends 2023 – 60%+ to Travel, Nearly 64% Say Inflation Affecting Plans, Nearly 55% to Road Trip, Nearly 50% to Watch Fireworks

Do you intend to travel for Fourth of July this year or Fourth of July weekend?

Let’s take a look at the survey results:

• Yes, for a relative or friend’s party. — 22.62%
• Yes, for a vacation. — 17.04%
• Yes, for a day trip such as to the beach or lake. — 14.69%
• Yes, for a different reason. — 5.88%
• No. — 39.76%

Interesting Demographic Comparison — Men are more likely than women to travel this coming Fourth of July or Fourth of July Weekend. Our survey revealed 65.01% of men intend to travel. However, only 55.95% of women said they have intentions to travel.

Key Takeaway — More than 60% of American adults say they will travel for Fourth of July or Fourth of July Weekend this year. The 60.24% that said this equates to more than 155 million people according to the latest census. It is also nearly 5% more or over 12 million people more than stated intentions to travel in last year’s survey. The 60.24% includes the 22.62% that will travel for a relative or friend’s party, the 17.04% that will go on vacation, the 14.69% that are planning a day trip, and the 5.88% that will travel for a different reason. The 17.04% that will travel purely for vacation during this time represents nearly 44 million American adults.

Will continued inflation affect your Fourth of July or Fourth of July weekend travel plans?

Let’s take a look at the survey results:

• Yes, because I want to drive. — 18.12%
• Yes, because of increased airfare prices. — 10.28%
• Yes, because everyday items continue to be more expensive. — 35.55%
• No. — 36.04%

Interesting Demographic Comparison — The oldest American adults over age 60 are the least likely to say that continued inflation will affect their Fourth of July travel plans. Only 50.29% of American adults over aged 60 said continued inflation will affect them. On the other hand, 69.08% of people aged 18-29 said continued inflation will affect their travel plans. 61.13% of American adults aged 30-44 said they will be affected. And, 69.83% of people aged 45-60 said their travel plans will be affected by continued inflation.

Key Takeaway — Nearly 64% of all American adults say continued inflation will affect their Fourth of July or Fourth of July Weekend plans. The 63.96% that said this represents 165 million people. Included in this percentage are the 18.12% of people that say inflation will affect their plans because they want to drive, the 10.28% that mentioned increased airfare prices, and the 35.55% that say everyday items continue to be more expensive. Despite the continued inflation, our first question reveals that even more people than last year intend to travel. Therefore, we can infer that while inflation will not prevent people from traveling altogether, it will likely force them to make cuts elsewhere. For example, we may see shorter-duration trips, more carpooling, travel closer to home, more cooking during vacation, etc.

Will you take a road trip for Fourth of July or Fourth of July weekend this year?

Let’s take a look at the survey results:

• No. — 45.25%
• Yes, within 100 miles of my home. — 27.52%
• Yes, within 250 miles of my home. — 13.03%
• Yes, within 500 miles of my home. — 8.13%
• Yes, within 1,000 miles of my home. — 3.23%
• Yes, more than 1,000 miles from my home. — 2.84%

Interesting Demographic Comparison — American adults in the Middle Atlantic Region are the most likely to say they will road trip for the Fourth of July or Fourth of July weekend. 61.49% of people in this region stated these intentions. The Middle Atlantic Region includes the states of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Conversely, American adults in the West North Central Region are the least likely to say they will road trip for the Fourth of July or Fourth of July weekend this year. Only 41.86% of people in this region stated these intentions. The West North Central Region consists of the states of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas.

Key Takeaway — Despite continued inflation being a worry, nearly 55% of all American adults will still road trip for Fourth of July or Fourth of July Weekend this year. The 54.75% that said they will road trip represents more than 141 million people. 27.52%, or nearly 71 million people, will drive within 100 miles of their home. However, 27.23% or more than 70 million people will road trip more than 100 miles from home. 6.07% or nearly 16 million people will road trip more than 500 miles from home.

What activities will you take part in for Fourth of July this year? (Check All that Apply Except If You Are Checking the Last Choice.)

Let’s take a look at the survey results:

• Parade.  — 16.16%
• BBQ or Cookout. — 59.35%
• Fireworks. — 49.27%
• Beach. — 21.84%
• Lake. — 17.92%
• Sporting Event. — 8.72%
• Movie Theater. — 7.15%
• None of These. — 17.73%

Interesting Demographic Comparison — Men are twice as likely than women to say they will be going to a sporting event for the Fourth of July this year. 11.80% of men said they will be going to a sporting event while only 5.95% of women said they will. Men are also much more likely than women to be going to a movie theater on the Fourth of July than women. 8.90% of men said they will go to a movie theater while only 5.58% of women said they will. Fireworks is the activity that women said they are the most likely to do more than men. 52.04% of women said they will see fireworks this year while only 46.17% of men said they will.

Key Takeaway — Nearly 60% of American adults say they will take part in a BBQ or Cookout this year for the Fourth of July or Fourth of July Weekend. The 59.35% represents 153 million people and is the most likely activity for Americans this year. In second place, nearly half of Americans, or 127 million people, will see fireworks for Fourth of July or Fourth of July Weekend. The third most common activity this year will be the beach which was indicated by 21.84% of American adults or 56 million people. Surprisingly, almost 18% or nearly 46 million people say they will not do any of these activities this year.

Survey Methodology

This 2023 Fourth of July Travel Survey was conducted by SurveyMonkey on behalf of The Vacationer. In total, 1,021 Americans over the age of 18 were polled on May 1. Of those surveyed, 46.21% were male and 53.79% were female. The age breakdown of participants included in this survey was 14.85% in the range 18-29, 22.55% in the range 30-44, 42.57% in the range 45-60, and 20.03% over 60. This survey has a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of ±3.13%. You can learn more about SurveyMonkey’s sampling method by clicking here.

The questions were chosen and the results were analyzed by the post author, Eric Jones, who is a Mathematics and Statistics Professor at Rowan College South Jersey.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.