A record 72 million people were expected to travel at least 50 miles from their home around the Independence Day holiday. Of those, some 18.5 million travelers were expected to fly during the Fourth of July period, which started Tuesday, July 2 and extended through Sunday, July 6.

The surge means large crowds and the potential for longer wait times.

“It’s clear that travel is on the rise this summer,” TSA said. “Remember, if you’re traveling anytime soon, be sure to arrive at your airport early, make sure you have a valid form of ID with you.”

Busiest travel days

Sunday was the biggest day with some 2.9 million people going through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.

Holiday travel is part of a broader upswing that’s been seen throughout the year, according to TSA data. New statistics released by the agency showed June 22, 2025 was the busiest travel day in TSA history with 3,097,633 people going through checkpoints. Five other dates from 2025 made the busiest travel day top 10: May 23, 2025; June 27, 2025; June 19, 2025; May 22, 2025; and June 29, 2025.

Here are the top 10 busiest travel days in TSA history:

1. June 22, 2025 – 3,097,633
2. Dec. 1, 2024 – 3,088,836
3. July 7, 2024 – 3,013,622
4. May 23, 2025 – 3,010,183
5. June 23, 2024 – 2,996,495
6. June 27, 2025 – 2,988,598
7. June 19, 2025 – 2,980,935
8. May 22, 2025 – 2,960,413
9. June 29, 2025 – 2,958,696
10. July 18, 2024 – 2,957,170