Join the 71 million travelers the week of Fourth of July

Of these, 60 million will hit the road and 700,000 will ride a state ferry. The skies will be busy, too.

EVERETT — The Independence Day holiday is now a holiday week.

Maybe you didn’t get the memo, if you have to report to work on Monday.

The American Automobile Association includes the entire Fourth of July week, including weekends, in its projection of nearly 71 million people traveling by sky, sea, road and rail, a 5% increase from 2023.

About 700,000 will ride on Washington State Ferries. To avoid the fray, take an early morning or late-night sailing or use transit to walk or bike onto the ferry.

A record 60.6 million Americans will hit the road, up 2.8 million travelers from last year. In Western Washington, expect to spend some bumper-to-bumper time on I-5, I-405 and state highways. Another 4.6 million are expected to travel by buses, cruises and trains, up 9% from 2023. Alaska cruises are in demand, making Seattle among the top domestic destinations.

“Road trips over the holiday week could take up to 67% longer than normal. Travelers should monitor 511 services, local news stations, and traffic apps for up-to-the-minute road conditions,” Bob Pishue, analyst at transportation and data service INRIX, said in a news release.

AAA predicts air travelers will set a new record, with 5.74 million passengers flying to their July 4th destinations, up 7% from 2023.

Taking the light rail from Northgate Station to Sea-Tac is good practice for when rail service extends to Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood at the end of August.

Remember to unpack your carry-on bag before packing to make sure you are not packing.

The week of Memorial Day, Paine Field Transportation Security Administration officers found two loaded guns in travelers’ carry-on bags during routine X-ray screenings. It held up the line while Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office deputies removed the guns from the X-ray tunnel. The gun-toting travelers were eventually permitted to continue on their way. Sea-Tac also reported a brisk run that week on firearms, finding three loaded guns and a grenade.

Check real-time traffic, ferry and border crossing information on the state Department of Transportation mobile app or online.

Maybe a trip to the islands is just what you need, even though you will be joined by 700,000 riders on cramped rust buckets.

The busy Seattle-Bainbridge, Edmonds-Kingston and Mukilteo-Clinton crossings have two boats, but each route has a smaller-than-normal summer season car capacity due to a lack of available ferries.

“We run a complex operation of roughly 400 daily sailings,” said Steve Nevey, state ferries assistant secretary. “Our online tools let customers take control of their ferry travel to help plan a trip and know what to expect before they get in a ferry waiting line.”

The busiest sailings for vehicles will likely be westbound, or onto an island, through July 3, then eastbound, or off-island, starting July 5.

Pack water, snacks, toys and phone chargers. Leave the fireworks at home.

It is against the law to set off or transport illegal fireworks aboard a state ferry.

Andrea Brown: 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @reporterbrown.

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