A record-breaking 46.9 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more away from home this Independence Day holiday, an increase of more than 5 percent compared with last year and the highest number since AAA started tracking 18 years ago.

Most of those people will drive to their destinations, but 3.8 million will travel by air.

And regardless of whether those travelers are driving or flying, Tuesday afternoon will be the busiest, INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, predicts.

“This Independence Day will be one for the record books, as more Americans take to the nation’s roads, skies, rails and waterways than ever before,” said Clay Ingram, spokesperson for AAA Alabama. “Confident consumers with additional disposable income will look to spend on travel this holiday, building on an already busy summer travel season.”

In addition to strong economic variables, the expected increase in travelers this year is helped by Independence Day falling on a Wednesday, giving travelers more flexibility to schedule a trip the weekend before or after the holiday. The Independence Day holiday period is defined as Tuesday, July 3, to Sunday, July 8.

“Although travel times are expected to nominally increase throughout the week, Tuesday afternoon will hands down be the worst time to be on the road,” Ingram said.

Top Domestic Travel Destinations for Fourth of July

1. Orlando, Florida

2. Anaheim, California

3. Seattle, Washington

4. Anchorage, Alaska

5. Honolulu, Hawaii