But how far will they go? AAA says the number of drivers on the road this holiday will be the highest in seven years. And that means a lot of spending at the pump.
According to gasbuddy.com: the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is $3.68. Here in Chicago: it's $4.07. They're filling up while the price is right.
The price per gallon at one BP Amoco on Austin in west suburban Oak Park is just a few pennies higher than the Chicago metro area average for regular unleaded. But -- all that could change with the ongoing turmoil in Iraq.
Analysts predict gas prices HERE in the U.S. to surge to 5-dollars a gallon by summer.
Word of a possible surge in gas prices comes just a week before the busy Independence Day holiday. According to AAA, travel from Wednesday, July 2 to Sunday, July 6 will see 2.3 million people in Illinois. That is a 2.2 percent increase from 2013. Gas prices across Illinois on average are $3.92, down from $4.02 in 2013.
And while a possible hike may not affect most people's travel plans, it means more pain at the pump.