On July 4th, Independence Day this year coincides with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Celebrations across the country, from national parades, legendary railroad journeys, grand firework shows, city-specific spectacles, various parties, and more, are in full swing. Festive decorations with elements of the American flag can be seen everywhere. At the same time, it is expected that over 72.2 million people in the United States will take advantage of the holiday to travel, once again breaking historical records.
As the grand celebration of “America250” approaches, cities across the United States have been planning national treasure-level celebratory events for years. In California, Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood have launched special celebrations, while Amtrak has introduced the “Stars Stripes Collection” for the holiday season, offering a “Legendary Route 66 Railroad Adventure” for people to cross the country from Chicago or Los Angeles. On July 4th, the largest Independence Day parade west of the Mississippi River in the United States will be held as scheduled in Huntington Beach, Orange County, Southern California.
Huntington Beach, a famous surfing haven in California, will host a three-day celebration as usual with a theme of “America 250th Anniversary.” The event will feature a “Battle of the Bands,” marathon races, grand parades, aerial performances, bike rides, and free music concerts, among other activities.
The main events include the grand parade at 10 a.m. on Independence Day morning and the fireworks show at the beach pier in the evening, an annual tradition that attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators.
In the northwest of Los Angeles County, the renowned Santa Clarita Valley will host its annual Independence Day parade, a tradition that has been upheld for nearly a century.
The largest Independence Day parade in the San Diego area includes the celebrations in Coronado Island in the south and Oceanside in the north. The former, now in its 75th edition, takes place every July 4th with over 200 participating groups and more than 100,000 visitors. Following the parade, there will be concerts and parachute displays featuring former Navy SEAL members. The latter typically leads the way by holding its parade a week before Independence Day and celebrated its 30th edition on June 27th.
Fireworks are an essential part of celebrating Independence Day, with many beaches, cities, and theme parks hosting dazzling displays.
In the capital city of Washington, D.C., a grand fireworks display will be held on July 4th. Macy’s will illuminate the night sky with simultaneous fireworks displays on New York’s East River and Hudson River. San Francisco will host a historic fireworks show around 9:30 p.m. on Independence Day at the Golden Gate Bridge. The largest fireworks show in Southern California, the “Big Bay Boom” in San Diego, will feature four barges in the sky above San Diego Bay, presenting a spectacular circular fireworks display.
For safety reasons, officials urge people to watch professional fireworks displays and warn that unauthorized use of fireworks will face severe penalties.
In California, some cities prohibit the use of any form of fireworks. For instance, Los Angeles County regulations state that all unincorporated areas within the county ban the use of any form of fireworks. It is illegal to store, manufacture, sell, or ignite any form of fireworks without a permit. Violators are subject to misdemeanor charges, with fines ranging from $500 to $1,000 or imprisonment for up to a year, or both.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) predicts more than 72.2 million people nationwide will travel during the Independence Day holiday, with approximately 5.5 million people in Southern California alone heading out for leisure activities, leading to extremely busy airport and road traffic.
Traffic analytics company INRIX experts anticipate that July 2-5 will be the busiest time on the roads, advising drivers who want to avoid peak traffic times to depart early. The most congested and smoothest traffic periods in the next few days are as follows:
On the 2nd, the most congested period is from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., with the best travel time being before noon.
On the 3rd, the most congested period is from noon to 7 p.m., with the best travel time being before 11 a.m.
On the 4th, the most congested period is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the best travel time being after 3 p.m.
On the 5th, the most congested period is from noon to 6 p.m., with the best travel time being before 11 a.m.
Self-driving is the most popular way to travel. According to AAA data, the average price of regular gasoline in the United States is $3.84 per gallon, with California still having the highest gas prices, around $5.41 per gallon.
The American Automobile Association has found that the current Alaska cruise season is in full swing, making Seattle, Anchorage, and Fairbanks in Alaska popular destinations within the United States. The Independence Day fireworks displays and celebrations in New York, Chicago, and Boston, as well as Florida with its theme parks, beaches, and cruise ports, are also attracting a large number of tourists.
Additionally, major European cities such as Vancouver, Rome, Dublin, Paris, and London are popular international travel destinations. ◇