Along with the rest of the nation, St. Lawrence County residents are making Independence Day plans, including travel reservations.

AAA Travel predicts that 40.8 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the holiday. This is a 0.8 percent decrease from the 41.1 million people who traveled last year, probably due to the mid-week holiday.

The Independence Day travel period is typically the busiest of the summer, according to AAA staffers.

Eighty-four percent of travelers, or 34.4 million, are expected to travel by automobile, a decrease of 0.7 percent from 34.7 million last year.

Holiday air travel is expected to increase slightly to 3.07 million from 3.06 million in 2012.

Holiday travel volume is expected to remain above the 13-year average of 38.9 million this year.

“This year nearly 41 million Americans plan to celebrate the nation’s birthday with a getaway, a slight decline from last year,” said AAA western and central New York President and CEO Tony Spada.

Gas prices are unlikely to be a major factor in travel decisions this holiday, according to AAA staffers. Despite the slight increase compared to last year, prices remain below the highs of earlier this year.

The current state average price for a gallon of regular gas is $3.75/gal.

During the holiday weekend the most popular activities will likely include visiting with friends/family, dining and shopping, staffers said. Other popular activities include going to the beach and sightseeing and celebrating by visiting a national park or historic site.