More than 70 million Americans expected to travel for Fourth of July weekend, AAA says

The week leading into the Fourth of July remains one of the busiest travel weeks of the year.

According to AAA, despite high gas prices and other concerns, Americans aren't changing their travel plans for the upcoming holiday weekend, and it looks like it's going to be another record-breaker, whether it be flying or driving.

There are nearly 4.1 million miles of navigable roadways across the 50 states, per federal data, and according to AAA, they're going to be crowded.

"Seventy-two million people will be out more than 50 miles away from home," said AAA spokesperson Jim Garrity.

This is despite the pain at the pump.

"They may look at it and say a drive to the beach, maybe that's going to cost us $100 dollars to fill up. Is that $100 worth canceling the trip? They say no," Garrity explained.

Garrity says cutting back on other trip-related costs, such as fewer meals out or fewer souvenirs, is just one of the strategies some Americans are using to offset the higher gas costs.

"It's very much a going to the lake, going to the beach, going to see friends and family, cookouts, things like that."

And Garrity says if you're not hitting the highway but instead rolling down the runway, the story is the same.

"The airports are going to be extremely busy," Garrity added.

According to both the Transportation Security Administration and Fly Pittsburgh, 18.7 million Americans will be taking to the friendly skies. More than 200,000 travelers are expected to pass through Pittsburgh International Airport.

A reminder for air travelers: a federally issued ID card is needed to fly. That means a REAL ID, a valid passport, or a military ID.

And TSA still recommends arriving at the airport approximately two hours before your departure to avoid any delays getting through security.

Finally, make sure you have ample amounts of patience no matter where the holiday journey takes you.