Things to know for 4th of July travel

Gas prices, peak travel times, construction
A record 1.6 million people in Wisconsin share the road for the 4th of July break
Published: Jul. 3, 2025 at 6:06 AM CDT|Updated: Jul. 3, 2025 at 6:43 AM CDT
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ASHWAUBENON, Wis. (WBAY) - A record 1.6 million Wisconsinites are traveling for the 4th of July weekend, either driving or flying. That’s 2.4% more than last year.

Flights are up this year, too. Nearly 59,000 Wisconsinites are flying to their destinations, up 1.2% from last year. Orlando is once again Wisconsinites’ top destination for the Fourth.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation expects peak highway travel to be late Thursday afternoon, from noon until late evening Friday, and again Sunday afternoon to evening. So, the best time to travel is by 11 a.m. every day.

The roads are going to be busy at times, but drivers are helped by relatively low gas prices right now.

Gas prices are likely going to fluctuate here and there before Independence Day with the increased demand.

AAA shows last month oil prices surged in response to Israel’s strikes on Iran, which will increase gasoline production costs, but analysts suggest this may be a short-term reaction.

Right now AAA shows the average price of gas in Wisconsin is about $2.95. The national average is higher at $3.16.

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Wisconsin Gas Prices provided by GasBuddy.com

 

Provided by GasBuddy.com

Wherever you travel, the Wisconsin DOT stresses the importance of planning ahead.

“Even if you’ve driven the route to Grandma’s house for 20 years, there could be construction, there could be a road closed, there could be a ramp closed, and there’s nothing worse than 2 in the morning, getting where you’re going and all off a sudden, ‘Oh my gosh, that ramp I always use is closed, that road I always use is closed.’ It creates unnecessary anxiety in drivers,” DOT communications manager Mark Kantola said.

Road construction is halted for the holiday weekend but there are some sections where construction barrels could not be moved off the road:

  • Brown and Outagamie counties: Two lanes are open each way on I-41 between Appleton and Green Bay. Watch for lane shifts and reduced speed limits.
  • Door County: WIS 57 is closed between County T and County V for bridge construction in the town of Jacksonport. No vehicles are allowed to cross the bridge and traffic is detoured via County T and County V.
  • Fond du Lac and Winnebago counties: Be alert for lane shifts and reduced speed limits on I-41 between County D (Military Road) in Fond du Lac and WIS 26 near Oshkosh. All lanes remain open during daytime hours.
  • Outagamie, Calumet and Winnebago counties: WIS 441 remains open to two lanes each way between I-41 and Oneida Street. Watch for lane shifts and reduced speed limits.
  • Outagamie County: WIS 54 is closed between County M and WIS 76 near the village of Shiocton. The signed detour follows WIS 76, County S and County M.
  • Outagamie County: WIS 76 is closed between WIS 54 east junction and WIS 54 west junction in the village of Shiocton. Traffic is detoured via County S, County M, and WIS 54.
  • Sheboygan County: WIS 28 is closed for bridge replacement in Cascade. No vehicles allowed to cross the bridge and traffic must follow detour via County A and WIS 57.
  • Sheboygan County: WIS 32 is closed for box culvert replacement between the village of Cedar Grove and County V near Gibbsville. The signed detour follows I-43 and County V.

The DOT also stresses the importance of keeping your eyes off the phone and avoiding distracted driving.

“You could rear-end a car before you even know you hit it. And how do you do that? Well, it’s people who look down at texts. If you have a text and you’re looking down at it, you can cover the length of a football field without seeing anything so anything, in a 100 yards you’re not seeing what you’re going to hit when you read that text,” Kantola said.

Make sure your car is travel-ready, too. AAA responded to almost 700,000 roadside assistance calls nationwide last 4th of July break for issues like dead batteries, flat tires and empty gas tanks.