More than 72 million Americans are expected to travel during the upcoming Fourth of July holiday period, according to new projections from AAA.

AAA projects 72.2 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between June 27 and July 5, surpassing last year's record of 71.8 million travelers.

More than 61 million people are expected to drive to their destinations, making road trips the most popular form of travel during the holiday week. AAA says nearly 6 million travelers are expected to fly, while almost 5 million will travel by other means, including buses, trains and cruises.

While travel by car and plane is expected to remain relatively flat compared with last year, cruises and other alternative modes of transportation are seeing the largest increase.

Despite signs that travel growth is leveling off, AAA says Independence Day remains one of the busiest travel periods of the year.