4.8 million Californians will travel over July 4 weekend

AAA projects that more than 4.8 million Californians will travel 50 miles or more from their homes over the upcoming Fourth of July weekend, up 0.5 percent from last year and the highest number of travelers since 2010.

“Overall, Californians are traveling in record numbers, driven by a stronger economy and rising income,” said Cynthia Harris, AAA Northern California spokeswoman, in a statement. “And despite recent spikes in fuel prices, this upcoming three-day weekend provides a welcomed pause for those planning a holiday road trip.”

AAA said the statewide average price of unleaded regular gasoline on Monday was $3.44 a gallon, down significantly from $4.13 a gallon on June 29 last year.

AAA predicted that about 3.8 million Californians will drive to and from their holiday destinations. Nearly 600,000 are expected to take air transportation, and more than 424,000 state residents plan to travel by rail, bus and watercraft.

Nationally, AAA projects that more than 41 million people will travel 50 miles or more during the Independence Day holiday weekend, up 0.7 percent over last year.

This story was originally published June 29, 2015 at 10:14 AM with the headline "4.8 million Californians will travel over July 4 weekend."