If you’re planning to drive somewhere to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday, get ready to share the road with millions of other Ohioans, according to AAA.
More than three million Ohioans – 3.14 million specifically – are expected to take a road trip over the Fourth of July holiday period between June 27 and July 5. This is a slight increase in drivers over 2025, and an 11% increase from 2019, the last year before the pandemic, according to AAA.
If you’re planning to take a flight, you’ll be sharing the sky with an estimated 117,000 Ohioans, a 2% decrease from 2025, according to AAA, likely due to higher air fares from the cost of jet fuel.
Nationwide, AAA predicts 72.2 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles from their homes during the Independence Day holiday week, with 61.4 million people driving, 5.85 million people taking flights and 4.93 million taking buses, trains, and other transportation.
Travelers will have to contend with higher fuel prices this year amid the unsettled U.S. war on Iran, which has sent prices climbing since February. The national average gas price was $3.15 a gallon in 2025; this year, it’s around $3.85 a gallon, according to AAA.
Here are some new ODOT projects to look out for while you’re hitting the road for Independence Day.
Franklin County ODOT projects for the week of June 26
Downtown Columbus ODOT projects for the week of June 26, 2026
Transportation and neighborhoods reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at NHart@dispatch.com, @NathanRHart on X and nathanhart.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Millions of Ohioans to travel for Independence Day week, according to AAA
Reporting by Nathan Hart, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Nathan Hart, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
