June 22, 2011|By Josh Noel | Tribune Newspapers
Holiday fireworks seen from the 90th floor of Trump International Hotel and Tower in downtown Chicago (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
Tis the season of Independence Day weekend travel statistics, and here are a few.
TripAdvisor says the news is good: 35 percent of those surveyed will be on the move for the Independence Day weekend, compared to 31 percent last year. Thirty-three percent will fly to their destinations; 63 percent will drive.
AAA, however, projects a 2.5 percent decline in the number of people who will travel "50 miles or more from home during the Independence Day holiday weekend"--39 million, down from last year's 40 million. High gas prices will cause automobile travel to dip three percent, AAA says, though it will remain the dominant mode of holiday weekend transportation (84 percent will be driving to Aunt Mildred's).
But my own favorite statistic is Orbitz's view of where people will be going. In first place is, you guessed it, New York City. Second is Orlando (presumably to visit that guy with the big ears) and third is the greatest summer city in the world, Chicago (almost makes up for the other nine and a half months of the year). Las Vegas, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle and Washington D.C. round out the list.
The highest average airfare on the list was to San Francisco ($458) and the lowest was Orlando ($294). The most expensive average daily hotel rate was in New York ($189), and the cheapest were D.C. and Orlando ($91).
In my opinion, the best mix of worthy destination, reasonable airfare ($357) and affordable hotel ($109) on the list was . . . wait for it . . . Denver.
Something to think about for July 4, 2012.
jbnoel@tribune.com
Twitter @traveljosh