ORLANDO, Fla. – This Independence Day, a record-breaking 44.2 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home, taking to the nation’s roads, skies, rails and waterways, according to AAA. With 1.25 million more travelers than last year, 2017 will be marked as the most traveled Independence Day holiday weekend ever.

“Combined, strong employment, rising incomes and higher consumer confidence bode well for the travel industry, in particular this Independence Day weekend,” said Bill Sutherland, AAA senior vice president, travel and publishing. “A historic 44.2 million Americans will travel to celebrate our nation’s freedom this year, adding to an already bustling summer travel season.”

The Independence Day holiday travel period is defined as Friday, June 30 to Tuesday, July 4.

A June NACS Consumer Fuels survey found that American drivers are much more likely than in years past to be hitting the roads this summer. Nearly three in 10 (29%) consumers said they would drive more in the coming month, an 11-point jump from a year ago (18% in June 2016), and a record high for the month of June. NACS has conducted monthly surveys related to economic issues since January 2013.